Screaming
by LillyRose0231
Summary: Dmitri Ann Armstrong, cousin to Alex Louis Armstrong. Join her as she attempts to find her own "Truth" in the twisted wreckage she call's a life. Rated for violence, language, sexual themes, and mentions of rape in the 'past-tense'. Not to mention Roy Mustangs Ego. Somebody pop that thing before it gets infected. Seriously.
1. First Encounter

Hey guys! So, for those of you who are wondering, this is a story from my other Profile, LeadArmstrong- I decided to join the two profiles to make things easier not only on me, but so I can share all of my works with ALL of my fan base. If you've read this story before, please don't hesitate to re-add it to your fave/follow list, and feel free to take a look at my other story Crazy Girl Book 1: The Dark Tournament.

If you are new to this story, then I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

"... didn't even let me finish my drink, those wankers..." A girl, maybe 13 by the look's of her, with platinum blond hair and dark indigo eyes stretched out atop a couple of empty booze barrels. "The only thing this place has going for it is the clear sky...maybe if I wasn't always on the go, I'd come to like living here..."

The tavern she set behind seemed more lively than normal, the men and women inside cheering joyously. The hell where they doing in there? Seeing who could pull the most rock dust out of their belly buttons? One voice in particular seemed to cut through all the others, shouting about "expensive things" and "being short". "Sound's like a fun party..." All sound suddenly cut off inside the tavern making the girl raise one finely manicured brow.

"GET OUT!" The sound of a human and a scrap-heap landing none-to-gracefully on the hard dirt road met her ears making a few worry lines appear on her forehead. Who were they picking on _this_ time...?

"HEY! We're customers!" It was the white noise piercing voice that had shouted; the voice was young and brassy, and obviously male- who ever he was, he was new here, and therefore must have done something truly horrible to get kicked out considering he was a _paying_ customer. This made the girl shimmy off the barrels and peek around the side of the building to see what all the fuss was about; it wasn't often anything interesting happened around here. She saw on the ground at the foot of the tavern stairs a short boy (who might have beat her in height by two inches... damn it) wearing a dark red coat, a pair of black boots, black leather pants, black high colored jacket, and white gloves. He had long golden blond hair that was braided at the nap of his neck and fell just to his shoulder blades, with his bangs falling gently on either side of his face, partly obscuring his rich golden eyes. Beside him was the source of that metallic clatter she had heard. This person (couldn't tell if it was a man or woman really) was much taller than the blonde-haired boy, and wore a full body suit of armor with a light blue loincloth around his middle that fell to mid-thigh, and a long piece of white hair protruding from the top of the helmet... _weirdo's..._

"We don't have any meals or bed's for a dog of the military!" The inn keeper shouted from the door, a crowd of miners standing behind him. All where glaring daggers of hate towards the blonde and his odd companion, that is until the armored person raised their hand to gain everyone's attention... _this is going to be good..._

"Umm, excuse me; I'm a normal person! I'm not a national anything!" The girl, and the blonde boy nearly fell over in exasperation, with the later calling the one in armor a traitor. To say she was shocked would be an understatement; despite the intimidating spiked shoulders and over whelming size, the voice that had echoed from inside the armor sounded kind and soft, pointing at the armor wearing boy as being MUCH younger then the blonde haired kid.

The towns people didn't seemed shocked to hear such a voice come from the armor, as they practically did a one eighty in their treatment of the armor clad youngster."Oh really? Come on in!" The inn keeper said, all but dragging the one in armor back into the tavern and slamming the door shut on the blondes face. Poor guy.

The girl sighed, her shoulders falling in defeat as the blonde boy stared open-mouthed at the door of the tavern. "W-what the hell just happened?" He asked out loud. He jumped in surprise when someone actually answered him.

"You opened your mouth and spilled the beans about who you are, that's what happened." The girl said before stepping out from the side of the building and making her way towards the blonde boy who gaped up at her in confusion.

"Who the heck are you?!" The blonde demanded as he got to his feet, seemingly ready for a fight.

The girl smirked, shoving her hands into the pockets of her to large black hoodie. "The names Dmitri Armstrong." The blond boy bit back a laugh making Dmitri level out her face into a glare that could kill. "Something funny?" She practically growled out.

The blonde boy bit his knuckle in a failed attempt to hold off his snickering. "D-Dmitri? That's a *pft* interesting name-YIKES!" The blonde boy fell back to the ground as his legs get kicked out from underneath him. Seconds later he is staring into the barrel of a huge gun; like, ten times bigger than him, looks like it weighs hundreds of pounds, gun.

The girl grit her teeth, her left index finger twitching over the trigger and her right hand up on the side of the huge gun holding it in place. "Any last words?!"

"WHAT THE HELL?! Where were you hiding that thing?!"

Dmitri smiled evilly, her eyes glinting with madness as she put a little pressure on the trigger much to the boys horror. "If I told you I'd have to bring you back from the dead after this so I could kill you again-"

"Brother?" Dmitri and the blonde boy jerked their heads towards the confused, echoing voice of the tall armored person who was standing at the top of the stairs with a small tray of food in his hand. "Ummm... did I miss something?"

Dmitri sighed, her blood lust already waning; what was the point of killing someone if you didn't enjoy it? "No; we where just talking." Dmitri said calmly making the blonde boy growl.

He jumped to his feet, pointing an incriminating finger at her. "The hell we where! You where about to blow me into little tiny bits with that ridiculous gun-GAH! where the hell did it go?!" The blond boy looked high and low, searching for the monstrous gun. It couldn't have vanished into thin air, right? Right?!

"She disassembled it using alchemy," the armored person said making Blondie gap at Dmitri who was smirking cockily. "That's what you did, right?"

Dmitri chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "You caught me!" She said as she reached into her tank top pulling out a glass vial that looked to have a black powder inside of it. "In this vial are all the ingredients to make my precious baby; I use alchemy to build her, and then again to put her away." Dmitri laughed right out at the dumbfounded look on the blondes face. "Where the hell did you _think_ I was keeping it?"

A light blush came over the blondes face as he began to stammer and stumble over his words. "Well, ah, you see-"

"Pervert." Dmitri said with a smirk making the blondes face go bright red. The armored person giggled much to Dmitri's enjoyment.

"Don't laugh at me Al, you where thinking the same thing I was!" The blonde said with a glare towards the armored boy.

"And that would be?" Al said in a teasing tone making the blonde growl and turn away from them, his arms crossed over his chest and his nose up in the air snootily. However, it seemed the blush was hard to get rid of as his cheeks where still moderately pink.

"It doesn't matter anymore!" Dmitri sighed as a loud grumble came from the blonde's stomach. "Damn it... I'm hungry..." The blond mumbled under his breath. As if suddenly remembering who he was, Al hurried over to the blond's side and offered him the tray of food.

"Here; I can't eat it, so I saved it for you..." Dmitri lifted a brow; why couldn't Al eat the food? Did he think it's been poisoned?

"LITTLE BROTHER!" The blonde said as he hugged the larger Al around the middle, his small arms not even making it half way around the armor. "YOU'RE A LIFE SAVER!" Al sighed in exasperation. Dmitri reached over and grabbed the sandwich on the tray, splitting it in half much to the shock of the two brothers.

"HEY! Get your own food!" The blond reached for her only to have her foot meet him in the face.

"Consider this payback for laughing at me, seeing as how I was unable to kill you."

The blonde groaned and fell over, his eyes dizzy from the impact of her boots to his skull.

"Uh, brother...?"

Dmitri took a bite of her half of the sandwich and knelt over the blonde, poking him with the index finger of her free hand."Did I kill him?" The blond twitched slightly making Dmitri chuckle. "Nope, he's still alive."

* * *

Some time later the blonde woke up, spitting and hissing at Dmitri like a pissed off cat. "What the hell did you have to go and do that for?!"

Dmitri sighed, leveling at him with a terrifying glare. "If you don't shut up and eat your half I'll eat it for you..." The blonde gulped, grabbing his half of the food and shoving it into his mouth with a small "yes ma'am". Dmitri huffed before sitting down on the steps with her back towards the two brothers. "So Al, you're the Elric brothers." Al nodded his head while Ed shifted his eyes between Al and their new acquaintance suspiciously; what all had he missed during his little nap? "And you, in the armor, you're Alphonse while you in the red, your Edward."

"That's right." Al said enthusiastically.

Dmitri slumps over, her face that of pure disrepair. "Why- why did he do this to me?! I'm not cut out for this kind of work; I don't play well with others!" Dmitri wailed out as if in terrible pain making both brothers jump in surprise.

"Ummm- are you ok?" Ed asked with uncertainty.

Dmitri turns around faster than either boy could react, grabbing hold of the Ed's shoulders and getting within inches of his face. "DO I LOOK OK TO YOU?!" Ed stutters in shock as Dmitri collapses into his lap, laying limply over his right thigh. "He's doing this to me on purpose; making me "play nice" with the other kids! And what's more, he made me come sooooo early! I mean, yeah, I had to come here anyway, but why did I have to wait so damn long for you two!? I mean, he had to have known you where running behind-!"Dmitri sat up a little, fire burning in her eyes as she held up a threatening fist. "I bet he knew all along that little bastard-"

"What the hell are you going on about?!" Ed shouted, cutting off Dmitri's rant.

"Who told you to meet us here?" Al asked cautiously.

"That rat bastard Mustang, that's who!" Ed's eyes widened considerably. "He told me to meet you guys here nearly four months ago; said I was to "keep an eye on you", or something like that." Dmitri pull's a shiny silver pocket watch out of nowhere, swinging it in the Ed's face making him go cross eyed from trying to follow it. "I mean, at first I was suspicious when I heard Al's name, but it must be true if you're carrying this!"

Ed snatched the watch away from her, opening it for a moment before closing it again aggressively. "How the hell did you get that?! And what does Mustang think he's playing at?"

Dmitri gave an exaggerated sigh, falling back onto the ground which caused a bit of desert dust to kick up. "Mustang assigned me to be your baby sitter; he sent me out here nearly 4 months ago to meet with the two of you, and to do a routine inspection of the town. How ever, I'm not sure what Roy could have sent you two out here to do."

"WHAT?!" Ed exclaimed, the vein at his temple pulsing irritably. "We came here on a whim! That bastards been watching our every move!"

Dmitri crossed her arms over her chest, a thoughtful frown coming to her lips. "So he didn't even know that you two would be coming here... I really hate that man sometimes..." Dmitri said making Ed and Al both nod in agreement. "But, even if it is late in coming, I am glad you two are here." She sat up then, catching both brothers undivided attention. "While doing my inspection I have come to notice a few things about this place, namely the condition that the people are forced to live and work in."

Al jumped in then, enlightening Ed to what Dmitri and himself had discussed while Ed lay unconscious. "There are corrupt agents here; because of them, the town's people can't get enough food." Ed stopped mid chew, his eyes falling half mast at the information. "That's why they kicked you out; everyone hates the military here, more so than what's normal for this time."

Dmitri nodded in agreement. "Yes, the people are most unwelcoming to our kind here; even those who resent their enlistment to the military are like scum to these people." Dmitri thought back to the bitter-sweet rum taken away from her so harshly... ok, it was only because she is under age, but still! Those scoundrels! "I have yet to speak one on one with the First Lieutenant that runs this place; I was hoping, Ed, that you could come as my back up of sorts-?"

"-UT OF THE WAY!" Dmitri, Ed and Al all peeked over their shoulders as a new commotion started up inside the tavern. Dmitri and Al snuck over to the door, peaking in through the small opening the uneven wood provided. At the back of the room near the back entrance stood two burly looking men in standard military uniforms and one scrawny, snobbish man wearing the same uniform with a few extra buttons and metals on it showing his rank.  
"Speak of the devil..." Dimitri mumbled under her breath drawing Ed's attention. He wedged his way between Dmitri and the door, staying low enough that she could still see over his head.

"It's you First Lieutenant. Welcome to this filthy place." The inn keeper said sarcastically. Every civilian in the room was sporting one of two looks; hatred and disgust. The scrawny First Lieutenant scoffed, his partially bald head shinning in the dull candle light of the room as he made his way to stand just before the counter.

"Nice greeting." The First Lieutenant said, arrogance laced through his voice like poison. The Lieutenant wagged his finger as if scolding a child, making the scowl on the inn keepers face deepen. "It seems that this place isn't paying its taxes. How ever this does not stop at you; I could say that same for everyone in this town."

"I apologize; I can't do anything about our pay being low." The inn keeper said, his frustration barely restrained in his tightly clipped words.

The Lieutenant looks around the room, a sharp frown coming to pull at his thin lips. "Hmph, and yet, there is more than enough to just enjoy alcohol? Which means, it would be acceptable if I lowered your income a little-?" Every towns person in the room gasped and shouted in outrage.

"What?! We already can't feed ourselves-"

"What about the children?!"

"We can't afford your taxes at it is-!"

A boy, no older than 9, growled and threw a dirty bar rag to the First Lieutenant, the offending material landing square in the Lieutenant's face.  
"DON'T PUSH US AROUND!" The boy shouted furiously. Before anyone could react the First Lieutenant struck the child across the face, sending him sprawling to the ground.

The inn keeper, and consequentially the boy's father, reached towards the boy as if to run to his aid. "Kayal!"

"You little runt!" One of the brutish grunts shouted as he drew his sword from its scabbard.

"Don't give him any mercy because he's a child." The First Lieutenant said angrily and he motioned for his grunt to attack. The big man raised his blade above his head. "This is a warning to you all; you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you!" The brute shifts his weight and brings the blade down, his aim for the neck of the boy who lay cowering on the floor. The boy finches, awaiting the end of his life. The sound of metal striking metal echoed through the room followed by the sound of a cocking shotgun and shifting armor.

Dmitri pushed the barrel of her shot-gun to the back of the First Lieutenants head while Ed blocked the sword with his auto-mail arm, the impact breaking the blade in two. Al stood behind the other brute, lifting him off the ground by that back of his uniform.

"You're causing a lot of trouble tonight, First Lieutenant Yoki..." Dmitri said calmly, breaking the sudden silence.

"W-who- who the hell are these ruffians?!" The grunt being held by Al shouted as he struggled against the big boys hold. T

he First Lieutenant shook with mild fear at the feeling of the cold barrel against his head. "T-this has nothing to do with you! S-stay out of it!" Ed snickered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his state alchemist pocket watch, flashing it at the first Lieutenant who paled at the sight of it.

"Nah, I saw the first Lieutenant, so I figured we should stop in and say "hi", right Dmitri?" Dmitri lowers her gun allowing the First Lieutenant to scuttle away from her. She took the moment to reach into her own pocket and produce a pocket watch identical to Eds much to the blondes surprise. First Lieutenant Yoki squealed in terror as he set eyes on Dmitri, recognition making his jaw flap open and closed like a fish out of water.

"Of course, it would have been rude for us to drop in without giving you a proper greeting." Dmitri said, pulling her shot gun back to rest casually against her shoulder. "It seems the three of us have quite a bit to discuss, right Ed?"

First Lieutenant Yoki glanced between the two of them nervously"M-Major Armstrong, w-what a p-pleasant surprise!"


	2. Shenanigans

"Please excuse my subordinates; they had no idea they where in the presence of two fine State Alchemist' such as yourselves!" Ed eyed the food before him suspiciously. The meal consisted of bone in ribs, creamy mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables, all set on a plate so fancy Ed was almost scared to touch it. A serving maid came by and filled his glass with warm tea. For a town that was so poor, their mayor seemed to be living the good life. "Don't hold back, please eat."

"Don't mind if we do, Yoki." Dmitri said as she entered the room, her hair damp from the quick shower she had requested upon arrival. While the request was met with odd looks, it had given her the chance to look around the place and it was as she expected it to be; pristine and far to grand an estate given the sever poverty of it's town folk.

"Ah, Major! Did you enjoy the baths?" Yoki asked exuberantly.

Dmitri shrugged as she takes a seat beside Ed, leisurely braiding drying her hair over her left shoulder. "They where secure and had clean water." Was her simple, blunt answer.

Yoki grimaced a little at her tone, but tried to hid his annoyance by beckoning over one of the many maids that stood at hand, a crystal flask in her hand. "May I offer you a drink? This is a special kind of wine from the far east made from the finest rice."

Dmitri took the whole flask from the maid, much to Yoki and the maids shock, and sniffed the contents, her nose wrinkling up ever so slightly as the foul scent stuck to the back of her throat. She then took a small swig of it, tasting the bitter alcohol on her tongue- it was disgusting. "Not to bad." Dmitri says after a minute, taking a slightly larger drink straight from the flask. "You're to kind, Yoki."

Ed grimaced as the smell of the alcohol reached his nose; it smelled like nothing he had encountered before, and while it wasn't horrible, the smell seemed to leave a bad taste in the back of his throat. He could only imagine how it really tasted. Yoki seemed more then a little peeved at Dmitri's behavior, but said nothing as she began to eat the food that was placed before her. "Don't be rude Ed; Yoki and his staff have gone to great lengths to put together this meal for us. You should eat what is offered to you."

Ed rolled his eyes, stabbing his fork into a steamed carrot. "We're eating good stuff, considering the state of the town." Ed said before putting his stabbed food into his mouth. Perfectly cooked; Yoki's chef was truly talented. Such talent comes with a price that would make most commoners wet their pants.

"It is embarrassing to talk about, but I am having difficulty collecting taxes." Yoki said hopelessly. Dmitri hid an eye roll as she took another drink from the flask, biting back on a grimace; honestly, why did things turn sour with money? "In addition, there are many ruffians like the ones from earlier. Hahaha, yes, it really is embarrassing!"

"So," Ed started, dabbing his face with his napkin. "They insist they have rights, while not paying their taxes."

"That seem's to be the case." Dmitri said in agreement as she leaned back into the cushion of her chair crossing her legs and examining her nails as if bored. Ed eyed her plate, noting that she had only taken a couple bites before calling if quits. And here she was calling _him_ rude for not eating...

"That's correct. You two are rather smart." Yoki said, his tone thick with false admiration. "Madam Armstrong, is the food not to you're liking?"

Dmitri shook her head, a small frown tugging a the corners of her mouth. "Not at all; it is rich, and uptight for my tastes. I'm afraid that all this high quality living is giving me indigestion."

Ed stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth to stop himself from snickering. Yoki's false smile faltered ever so slightly, his left brow ticking as he eyed Dmitri distastefully. "My apologies Major." He replied tightly before turning his attention toward Ed, intent on ignoring the other Alchemist as much as possible.

Ed swallowed his food and cleared his throat, willing his mirth to settle before he addressed the First Lieutenant again. "You see Yoki, all logic in the world can be represented by the basis of Alchemy, "Equivalent Exchange". Privilege comes with duty." Ed said, trying to get the conversation back on track.

Yoki's sour expression over Dmitri's blatant disrespect turned into a smile of understanding. "I see, I see. Wonderful; I wonder, if you will accept this as "logic"" Yoki reaches to his left and rings a tiny bell. Dmitri's gaze flickers to the door as another made comes in holding a small silver tray with two small money sacks sitting atop it. She presents it to Ed and Dmitri who both shoot each other skeptical glances.

"Sir Edward, Madam Armstrong, because the two of you are national Alchemist', it is thought that you would have influence with the higher-ups." Yoki said as Dmitri scrunched up her nose in distaste while picking up the small money bag and depositing it somewhere unknown on her person.

"This is the so-called "bribe", huh?" Dmitri scoff's, crossing her arms and legs again in agitation. "Only the lowest of the low would actually accept a bribe."

Ed picked his up as well between his thumb and forefinger, jiggling the sack a little. He shot Dmitri a disapproving look as he set his own bribe on the table top. "Then why the hell did you already stash your's?! And where do you hide all this crap anyways?" Ed snapped at her under his breath so that the First Lieutenant couldn't hear them bickering. She shrugged, only adding to Ed's ere, with him crossing his arm's over his chest with a huff.

Dimitri snickered and leaned in close to Ed so she could talk directly into his ear, much to his discomfort. "Want to give me a pat down, Fullmetal? You might be surprised what you find, and where."

Ed's face went up in flames as he back pedaled so fast he nearly fell from his chair. He shot her such a horrified look, you would have thought she had grown a second head. "W-what the hell is wrong with you!?"

Dmitri pulled back with a small laugh before taking another drink. "Jeeze, you to easy-" The sound of a clearing throat brought them back to the situation at hand. Dmitri, sighing dramatically, leans forward onto the table and shoot Yoki a very unnerving look. "Right; the bribe. What is it exactly that you wan't from us, Yoki."

Yoki dabbed at his brow with his napkin, clearly unnerved by the young woman's sudden change in domineer. "Well, I do not want to end my life as a petty official of a hick town like this..." He said making Dmitri's look darken further. "You do understand?"

Dmitri growled and pushed herself up from her seat so fast her chair almost fell over making Ed jump in surprise to catch it. "Oh I understand- understand that you're a piece of shi-!"

Ed reached up and clasp's his left hand over Dmitri's mouth at the last second, stopping her from insulting Yoki further and possibly getting them kicked out. "Sorry about my partner; she get's this way when she's had to much to drink." He say's smoothly making Dmitri growl again. Ed suddenly pull's back as Dmitri sinks her teeth into his palm, shooting her a furious glare as he shook out the pain. "What the hell was that-"

"Perhaps we should retire for the night; my officer's will show you to your room's." Yoki said, breaking up the brewing argument. Not wanting to lose his chance at sleeping in a real bed, Ed nod's; he just wanted to get some sleep, find Al and get the hell out of this town, and as far away from this crazy woman as he could, Roy's orders be damned.

"Room." Dmitri interjected earning curious looks from Ed and Yoki. "My partner and I prefer to stay in the same lodgings. It is the easiest and safest way for us to travel, and I'm afraid we've grown quite accustomed to it." Ed gap's at her while she said all of this with a straight face and a no-nonsense tone. Was she insane-

Yoki stared at them wide eyed, his gaze flickering between the two before he clears his throat and nods his head. "Very well..." He sounded uncertain as he witnessed Ed's horrfied reaction to his "partners" request. "My one wish is to ensure you enjoy your visit." Yoki snaped his fingers and two uniformed men came into the room. "These men will escort you to your _room_." Dmitri nodded and headed out after the two men in uniform, leaving Ed to trail behind her with a look that was borderline murderous and dumbfounded. What the _hell_ just happened...?

* * *

The room provided by Yoki was just as grand as the rest of the estate. Fine silks and cottons made up the fabrics, the cool marble floor looked cool despite the hot desert air, and the room was spacious with a seated area and a fire place to fight off the volatile temperatures that came with desert living. It was everything a high ranking officer could ask for in a room, apart from one small detail. "Perverted old man," Dmitri said as she fell with a thump onto the single bed, a scowl present on her face. "Giving us a room with _one_ bed! I bet he has some kind of observance in here, so he can watch us and jerk off." Ed grunts in annoyance, ignoring her perverted comment for the time being.

"If you had kept your mouth shut, we would be sleeping in our own rooms tonight. What the hell where you thinking anyways, going along with him about us being partners?! We only just met tonight!" Ed said as he laid his red coat over the back of one of the large, comfy looking couches.

Dmitri pushed herself up onto her elbow and gave Ed a smug smirk. "For the record, _you_ called me you're partner first, so I was technically following _your_ lead." Ed fumed at her for a second before huffing and tossing his head to the side in bitter defeat making Dmitri snicker. "I don't like the feel of this place, and while we may have only met tonight I feel better knowing there is another honest Alchemist near by. You can't tell me you couldn't smell the bull shit that man was bathing us in." Dmitri said, sitting up all the way and pulling the braid out of her now dry hair. "Besides, I don't think we'll be getting much sleep tonight." Dmitri stood up from the bed and walked over to one of the large windows, pushing it open and allowing the warm, dry desert air to flow into the room.

Ed blinked in surprise when she magically acquired the crystal flask from dinner, taking another drink. She didn't even try to hide her distaste for the putrid drink, her entire face screwing up in disgust as she finished it off in a could large gulps. "Why do you keep drinking that junk if you don't like it?" Ed asks as he adjusts the collar of his shirt while sitting on the couch.

Dmitri stared at the flask in her had with a look of deep thought, biting her lower lip. A light dusting a pink appeared on her cheeks as the drink started to take effect. "The tax dollars of these people pay for everything in this place; the water, the food, this room. Even the alcohol in this flask; hell, even the flask was probably bought with _their_ taxes. It's bad enough I wasted the food; I won't waste the alcohol too." She said as she set the now empty flask onto the bedside table. "It's the least I can do, until I return to central and turn that Yoki bastard in for his crimes against this town." She walked over and slid onto the floor with her back was leaning against the edge of the couch next to Ed's right leg. Ed grunted in agreement, his thoughts going back to Al who was still at the Inn; he hoped his little brother was still in good hands. He glanced down at Dmitri who had her head leaned back onto the couch and her eyes closed, looking close to falling asleep.

"Hey, why didn't you tell me you where a State Alchemist? I didn't know we had any females in the ranks." Ed said out of nowhere making Dmitri jump slightly. She grumbled, rubbing her left eye with the palm of her hand and glaring at him with the right.

"That's because I'm not listed as an active member; I'm more of a, inside person. You know, undercover; my last name makes it easy to hide within the ranks, although I don't claim _most_ of my family. The majority of people who know of my existence, know me by my code name, "The Lead Alchemist"."

Ed placed his chin on his hand, thinking hard on the name. "I've never heard of you before."

"You wouldn't have; as an undercover agent for the investigation branch, my existence is very hush hush. If everyone knew who I was, I wouldn't be a very good undercover agent." She said with a yawn. "I think I exaggerated before when I said we wouldn't get much sleep tonight. I'm going to bed; feel free to sleep where ever you want, but I call the side farthest from the window."

Ed deadpanned. "There's windows on both sides of the bed..."

Dmitri flops onto the bed, burrowing under the covers and curling into a tight ball. "Then I call the middle." Ed sighs, falling over onto the couch; there was no way he was going to share a bed with a strange woman.

* * *

The next morning found Ed and Dmitri standing before the ruins of what was the Inn. Once a place of business, now a pile of smoldering ruins remained, the scene only accentuated with the cries of the towns people as their last symbol of hope lay in ruins. Dmitri steps up to the ruble and wiped her finger across one of the blackened bricks , examining the residue that came off on her finger.

Ed found Al and Kayal, the inn keepers son, a few yards away from the grieving owners. Al and the boy looked a little worse for wear, but otherwise seemed to be alright. Dmitri walked over to them, showing the residue on her finger to Ed. "They used Molotov Cocktails; even if we had been here, the fire would have spread to fast for us to do anything." Dmitri said as she looked over the wreckage one last time. "We should count our blessings; there don't appear to be any casualties _this_ time."

Ed sighed and shoved his hands into the pockets of his red coat. "Three guesses on who's behind this." Dmitri shot him a bitter knowing look.

"Damn it..." Kayal said, his voice quivering with barely restrained emotions. "They really pulled something dirty this time. The reason my dad did alchemy was because he wanted to save this town." Dmitri knelt down and started wiping the grim off of Kayal's face. "H-hey, guys... you two have enough power to transmute gold, right?"

"No, Kayal." Dmitri said sternly, her blue eyes going steely for a moment before softening. "The world doesn't work that way; there are rules that even _we_ have to follow."

"B-but, isn't it ok? You won't lose anything either!" Kayal said with earnest, turning towards Ed and pushing Dmitri's hand's away.

Dmitri grabbed Kayal by his shoulder, turning him to face her again. "Kayal, listen to me-"

"The alchemic standard is "equivalent exchange"." Ed said harshly. "I don't have any obligation or responsibility to make money for you."

"Edward! You're not helping!" Dmitri scolded him. Kayal moved faster then Dmitri was prepared for and grabbed Ed by his coat collar, Kayal fist raised and ready to strike Ed across the face.

"You're supposed to be an alchemist!?" Kayal shouted.

Dmitri stood and pulled Kayal away. "That's enough, both of you!" Ed scoffed while Kayal escaped from Dmitri's hold, running to his parents side's, wiping tears as he goes.

"In any case, even if we give you money, it'll be taken away as taxes and then it'll be over; I wont get anything either if I do anything for your little problems." Ed says to the towns people. "If you have that many problems, get out of this town and look for a different job." Ed fixes his coat and walk's past Dmitri who was fuming in anger.

"Kid, you don't get it." The inn keeper said gaining Ed's attention once again. "This town is our home, and our coffin." The towns people left then, leaving behind a crestfallen Al, a shell shocked Ed and a furious Dmitri.

"Elric... YOU JERK!" Dmitri socked Ed in the back of his head making the elder brother cry out as he stumbled onto the ground.

"Brother! Dmitri, what are you-?!"

"What the hell was that for?!" Ed demanded from the ground, his eyes blazing with furry; he'd never hit a woman for the hell of it before, but the more time he spent around this woman was making his knuckles itch.

"Why couldn't you just tell them that it was against the law?!" Dmitri shouted as Ed picked himself up off the ground. "Sure, their problems aren't yours, but that doesn't mean you have to be so cruel!"

Ed growled and turned on his heel, storming away. "Shut up!"

Dmitri huffed, following after him angrily. "Get back here, I'm not done hitting you yet!"

Al followed after the two nervously. "Brother? Are you really going to leave those people al-"

Ed suddenly came to a stop making the other two nearly run into his back. He eyed a couple train cars that where full of debris from the mines, his face calculating and his shoulders stiff. "Hey, how much do you think this pile of sludge weighs?" Ed ask's the other two out of nowhere.

Dmitri sighs, and takes a look at the pile. "Around two ton's I'd say; why?" Dmitri asks suspiciously. She glances over at Ed only to find that he was no long by her side but instead trying to crawl into the train car. "Edward, what are you doing now?" She sounded so exhausted that Al gave her a worried look; had Ed been causing trouble this whole time?!

"If it will get your happy go lucky ass off my back, I'll break the law a little." Ed said as he caught himself before he fell off the side of the car. "So pretend you're not watching." Ed pulled himself over the edge and let out a relieved sigh; while a fall from the height wouldn't kill him, it sure as hell wouldn't feel good and he doubted Dmitri would ever let him live down a blunder like that.

Al gasped in surprise. "What?!"

Dmitri stared wide eyed for a moment before she smirked mischievously. "So, are you telling us to be your accomplices?"

Ed glanced over his shoulder, giving them a challenging look. "What's the matter, lose your nerve?" Dmitri roll's her eyes.

"Even if we said no, you'd still do it." She said, making Al nod in agreement. "So let's get this over with." Ed chuckles and claps his hands together before slamming them down into the rubble he now stood on. Dmitri's eyes widened in shock; no transmutation circle? Mustang and told her but... she didn't believe him.

"If no one finds out, it's ok." Ed says over the sound of the transmuting rubble. Hundreds of gold bar's began to take shake out of the left over mining materials, their surfaces smooth and polished to perfection.

"It's only breaking the law if you get caught." Dmitri said in agreement.

Al sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Oh man, it's hard enough to keep brother out of trouble, but now he has an accomplice... guess I'll just have to keep an eye on the both of you from now on..." Neither Dmitri or Ed reacted to his words, both of them to enthralled with the task of breaking the law.

Just as Ed was finishing up on the gold, Dmitri glanced at another cart that sat Empty near by. She eyed it for a moment before a sly smile worked it's way onto her face. She turned to Al and motioned towards the cart over her shoulder. "We'll need a way to transport all this, right?" Al nodded and watched her walk over to the cart. Faster then he could track, Dmitri transmuted the cart into a large armored truck, bigger then any he had ever seen before.

"...wow..." Al said; if had his body, is sure is eyes would be the size of dinner plates.

Ed gave a low whistle of appreciation before cracking his knuckles. "Ok you two, here's the plan-"

* * *

"I said, I would like you to sell me the deed to the coal mines." Ed repeated to First Lieutenant Yoki. He and his two companions stood in the entryway of Yoki's estate, piles of gold bars sitting around them and confident smiles on their faces. Yoki was flabbergasted, his whole body trembling in shock.

"Is this not enough First Lieutenant?" Dmitri asked stone faced from her spot atop a particularly tall pile of gold bars.

"D-d-don't be absurd! With just this I can say goodbye to this town!" Yoki shouted in exuberance. "And then...?" He gave Ed and Dmitri a sheepish smile making Dmitri's brow twitch though she was able to keep the rest of her face stony... _this little fucker..._

Ed stepped up, a cheesy smile on his face. "I'll be sure to inform my friends among the higher-ups about the First Lieutenant." He said joyously. Yoki nearly became a puddle of excitement, tears of joy streaming down his face.

"However First Lieutenant, seeing as gold transmutation is illegal, we would greatly appreciate it if you would write a memorandum stating "This deed was transferred free of charge amicably", so nobody will find out." Dmitri said, giving Yoki an expectant look.

The First Lieutenant nodded his head excitedly. "I don't mind at all! Let's skip to the legal process!" Dmitri sighed, a small smile tugging at her lips as she jumped from her perch. "Then I shall take my leave; I trust that Ed can handle the rest." She said as she took her leave, waving over her shoulder casually. "I'll be in town when you're done here boys." Ed barely spared her departure a glance as he started on the paper work with the over excited Yoki, and Al spared a small wave to her back. Dmitri snickered as she heard Yoki give another shout of excitement as she left the estate grounds. She had faith that Ed's plan would work out; the fool Yoki was so money hungry he couldn't see the trap he was being drawn into. But she didn't want to think about that anymore; no, instead she had something far more important that she needed to accomplish before her and the Elric's could leave.

* * *

Dmitri walked up to the pile of ash and brick that was once the Inn of the town. With a sigh and a smile she clapped her hand's together before slamming them into the ground. Dark green alchemic energy swirled up around her, engulfing the entire structure. When the light subsided, before her stood the Inn, returned to pristine condition.

"H-hey- what are you doing?!" She looked over her shoulder to see Kayal and his father standing a few feet behind her, their eyes and mouths wide in shock. With sure footsteps Dmitri walks to them, coming to a stop before them and placing her hand onto Kayal's head.

"It's the least I can do. Transmuting gold is illegal Kayal; even if we wanted to give you all the gold that could be made, eventually the government would find out and your whole town would be incarcerated." Kayal's eyes grew wide.

"R-really?" Dmitri nodded her head.

"Ed and I would be stripped of our ranks and most likely executed, leaving our families helpless and with out income." Dmitri bit back a wince; so she had made that part up, but she hoped it was helping to drive home the message. "There is a price to be paid for every decisions you make."

"Equivalent exchange..." Kayal said softly.

Dmitri nodded before shaking the Inn Keeper's hand. "You've raised a great kid."

The Inn keeper nodded his head at her. "Thank you. Come on inside; I owe you a drink!"

Dmitri's spirits rose slightly. "Well, what kind of Alchemist of the People would I be if I denied your wishes."

* * *

Dmitri sat around the bar with the Inn keeper and a few of the towns men, talking about what had transpired the night before. "I'm telling you, we should strike back! I'm tired of being treated like a dog!" One of the men shouted, slamming his fist down onto the bar top.

Dmitri flicked his arm, which was about as big around as she was mind you. "Don't go breaking this place after I put so much effort into rebuilding it!" She scolded him harshly making everyone chuckle nervously. "Besides, what good would it do you to attack now? All it would do is give them a _reason_ to shoot you!"

"But we can't sit back and do nothing!"

"I agree, we need to get them now when they least expect it-!"

"HIIIIIII EVERYBODY!" Everyone in the room paused and turned towards the Inn's front door to see none other then Ed and Al, the first of which had just kicked the double door's open much to Dmitri's dismay.

"Damn it Ed, I just fixed those doors!" She shouted, throwing her empty bottle at Ed's head which he promptly dodged.

When Ed stood straight again, he gave her a mock solute which she responded to with a roll of her eyes. "And they look beautiful! Alright, all people who owe money, line up and be very happy!"

Dmitri and Al glanced around the room. Nobody looked very happy. Kayal stepped forward, his eyes set in a hard glare at the taller blonde. "Why did you come here?" He asked furiously, only backing down when his father placed a restraining hand on her shoulder.

Ed raised his hands in mock surrender, a cold sweat breaking out over his forehead."Hey, hey! You wouldn't say those kinds of things and drive off the owner of this place, would you?" The entire room gasped in outrage.

The Inn Keeper stepped forward then, his much taller frame towering over Ed and nearly matching Al. "What the hell are you-?!" Ed pulled out a stack of papers and showed them to the Inn keeper, who's eyes widened in surprise. "This is..."

"Mining, management, sales, etc... the deed for all businesses." Ed interjected, his voice full of exuberance.

"But, why are you holding this?" The Inn keeper looked at the bottom of the page his eyes going wide. "AHHH! THE SIGNATURE IS EDWARD ELRIC!"

The entire room erupted in shocked chatter. Dmitri and Al glanced around the room wearily; they hadn't thought as far ahead as this. What if these burly mining men decided to revolt against _them_? "That's right! In short, presently this coal mine is mine!" Ed said making everyone in the room fall over in surprise. Well, everyone but Dmitri who was waving a small victory flag from the bar. "Although, we're the wandering sort that go from journey to journey."

Al placed his hand on his head as if fighting a headache. "Something like this would just be a nuisance."

Ed gave an exaggerated sigh while fanning himself with the deed, making the Inn Keepers eyes jump from side to side as he followed the movement. "And I know that not even my partner would have the time to take care of business around here, right Lead?"

Dmitri smirked and shook her head. "Between work and research, my hands are full." She held her hands up and wiggled her fingers in emphasize her point.

The inn keeper narrowed his eyes suspiciously, glancing between the three of them. "Are you saying you're going to sell this to us? How much?"

Ed gave the Inn keeper a sinister smile that send a nervous shiver down the backs of the towns people. "It's expensive. If you want to get something, you gotta pay a price." The Inn keeper grit his teeth in annoyance; he had said something similar to Ed during their first meeting just the other night before Ed had been kicked out of the bar for being a dog of the military. It was humiliating to have his own words thrown back at him. "This is vellum embossed in gold." Ed said as he threw the deed onto a nearby table top. "And it's storage box has a wonderful design, finely carved in jade. Yes, the work of a craftsman." The inn keeper gulped audibly; there was no way he could afford to by the gold lined paper, let alone the jade bow- "Oh, and the key is silver." The entire pub seemed to deflate at that; they would have to sell every thing they owned in order to pay for _half_ of the deeds worth. Ed rubbed his chin in mock thought. "What do you think Lead?"

Dmitri eyed the deed and the box, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I'd say..." Every towns person in the room gulped loudly, terrified to hear the price for something that could change their lives forever. She locks eyes with the Inn keeper who looked about ready to pass out. "Equals the price of one night and two meals for three at the boss's place." The Inn keeper, along with the the rest of the room gasps. "AND!" A needle could have dropped then and all would have heard it in the silence that filled the bar as Dmitri thought over her final request. "Free beer for the rest of the night for everyone in town."

Ed roll's his eyes at her last statement. "Sounds like a fair price to me; do we have a deal?" He asks the Inn Keeper. The man's shoulders begin to shake and at first Dmitri thought he was going to blow a fuse.

"Haha...hahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHA! That _is_ expensive!" Kayal gaps at Ed before turning to Dmitri.

"Equivalent exchange again...?" Dmitri nod's, a small giggle escaping from her lips.

The Inn keeper slams his fist against the table top, his enthusiasm nearly breaking it in half. "ALL RIGHT! I'LL TAKE IT!"

"SOLD!" Ed shouts as he claps the Inn Keeper on the shoulder.

Dmitri whoop's and throws her hands up into the air. "DRINKS FOR EVERYBODY!" The entire room cheered as the Inn keeper and his wife started to pass our mugs of beer to the towns folk, celebrating the night their lives became their own once again.


	3. Home Sweet Home

_... "It's ok; this will only hurt a little bit." A middle aged man with dark hair and brown eyes stared down at her. Dmitri tugged at her arms and legs that where bound to either bed post, locking her in place for the procedure. "This is for your own good-" The man lifted his hand up, revealing a sharp scalpel that made her blood run cold. "I'm going to take good care of you- you'll be better then before!"_

 _Searing, blinding pain erupted through Dmitri's nerves, so intense she could hardly think. She didn't even know she was screaming, the sound coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once, with the slush of falling skin and soft tissue accompanying the screams of agony-_

Dmitri sat straight up, or at least would have if she hadn't met the roof of the train from her hiding spot in the luggage rack. Her breathing was labored and irregular as her eyes darted around, searching for something that wasn't there. "...Just a dream...?" The sound of many foot fall's answered her from outside the stationary train, making her take a peek under the luggage rack, fully expecting to find Ed and Al still sitting beneath her. When she found the seat empty, she leaned down further, taking a gander out the window. Dmitri was greeted by the face's of Ed, Al and (unfortunately) Roy Mustang; had they made it back to Central already? Dmitri sighed; she could already feel a massive headache starting to form. Men dressed in the uniform of the state rushed around the two males, following orders given out by the Colonel. A good sized, smoldering crater in the ground near Mustang alerted her that he had performed alchemy on some sorry sap.

"What the hell did I miss out on?"

* * *

Dmitri sauntered off the train, taking in the controlled ciaos around her. The large crowd that had gathered sent an uncomfortable shiver run down her spine, making her flick the hood of her jacket up as she made her way towards Ed and Al who where still standing on the platform with Mustang. Dmitri had never been a big fan of the big city; she always felt like someone was watching her...

Upon seeing her, Ed scowled. "Where the hell have you been?" He asked making her shrug her shoulders.

"Sleeping above your head; what happened here? Flame Brain get a little impatient for the spring festival?"

Ed fell over in shock. "You mean to tell me you slept through all of that?!"

Dmitri gave him a blank stare. "All of _what_?" Ed pinched the bridge of his nose; how the hell could someone sleep through something like the hijacking of a train?! Shouldn't the gun fire have woken her up?

Al rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I don't know why you're so surprised brother; you would have slept through the whole thing too if that thug hadn't woken you up in the first place." Ed blushed and crossed his arms over his chest with a huff making Al and Dmitri chuckle. Colonel Mustang shook his head with a small smirk, motioning with a flick of his head for the three youths to follow him.

"Don't worry to much about it Lead; what's done is done." Dmitri shrugs her shoulders and follows after the Colonel with Ed and Al on either side of her. Despite the high spirits the three males around her seemed to be in, Dmitri couldn't help but to glance over her shoulder suspiciously; the eyes that had been watching here were gone now, but she couldn't help but wonder, who did they belong to?

* * *

"... You know if you keep that face up, it will get stuck like that." Dmitri said to Ed who was leering confidently at Colonel Mustang from across the room. Ed snickered, waving her off which made her sigh. "And to think, you have such a cute face and you're willing to ruin it on an idiot like Flame."

"I'm just excited is all; the Colonel owes me for this one, right?" Ed said, making Colonel Mustang chuckle a little.

"There's something disturbing about having to be in your debt..." Mustang said, his fingers laced together under his chin and a coy smile on his face. The two males stared each other down for what felt like forever to Dmitri, before Mustang finally cracked. "Damn it, fine; I'll cave. What do you want?"

"Baby face wins again." Dmitri whispered under her breath making Ed scowl and Al laugh.

Ed turned around in his chair, pointing an accusing finger at Dmitri. "I do _not_ have a baby face!"

Dmitri snickered and pinched his cheek making him wince. "Sure you do; I mean, just look at these pinch-able cheeks!" Dmitri pulled on both of his cheeks while making a kissy face. "So cute!" Ed's face lit up like a Christmas tree much to Mustang's and Al's amusement.

"If you two love birds are finished flirting, perhaps we can get on with this little meeting? Believe it or not, some of us actually work around here." Dmitri released Ed's cheeks (much to his relief) and glanced around the room expectantly making an annoyed tick appear on Mustangs forehead.

"What are you doing _now_ , Lead?"

"Looking for the person who works around here, but it seems Hawkeye is out for lunch right now..." Mustang sighed, his left brow ticking as Ed snickered and Al hummed in amusement.

A stern look from Mustang made Ed curb his laughter, and with a small grunt to clear his throat Ed decided to get down to business before Mustang tried to roast them all. "Anyways Colonel; as payment for apprehending those criminal on the train for you, can you show us to a library or introduce us to an Alchemist that has detailed info about biological transmutation about here?"

Dmitri's ears perked up; biological transmutation? She had started having mild suspicion when she witnessed Ed transmute something that shall not be named (*cough*gold*cough*) with out an array, but she had assumed his array was somewhere on his hands, much like Mustangs gloves. But hearing that Ed and Al where interested in Biological Transmutation... it made a small weight fall in the pit of her stomach. They couldn't have possibly-

"You're rather impatient Fullmetal." Mustang said as he pushed himself up from his desk and walked over to his shelves of files.

"We want to-" Ed paused, glancing over at Dmitri who was examining her nails now as if suddenly bored with the conversation. Her Indigo eyes darted over to him at his sudden pause making him quickly avert his gaze. "You know our goal, Colonel. We wish to achieve it ASAP."

Mustang hummed as he pulled a file from the second shelf, skimming through the first few pages. "I suppose now wouldn't be the time to discuss your goals." He said as he sauntered back over to his desk and set the file down. "That's to bad, I was hoping we could chat over a cup of tea."

Ed grimaced. "What would be the fun about drinking tea with a _guy_?" Ed commented making Dmitri roll her eyes and flick the back of his ear.

"Did you forget that I, a woman, am sitting right here?"

Ed grumbled as he rubbed his abused ear. "Like anyone could forget about _you_..."

Dmitri quirked a brow, a small smirk playing on her lips as she leaned over Ed's shoulder from behind his chair. "Am I that _unforgettable_ , Fullmetal?"

Ed's whole face lit up once again, a scowl taking over his face as he pulled away from her. "Knock it off!" Dmitri full out laughed though she did back off, putting a respectable distance between herself and fuming teen once again.

"Children, please." Mustang said, clearing his throat as he shot Dmitri a half hearted glare. "Lead, stop teasing the poor prude would you?"

Ed's mouth flapped open in outrage."P-PRUDE?!"

Al was practically shaking in mirth. "Haha, prude- he called you a prude!" Al said between giggles making Ed's face go beat red.

"I hate all of you..."

Al waved his had dismissively to Ed's proclamation, his voice still laced with humor as he tired to sooth his brothers nerves. "Awe, come on brother; it's kind of the truth, isn't it? I mean, you've never even been kiss-!" Al suddenly ducked as Ed aimed a kick for his head. Before to long the two brothers where chasing each other around the room with Ed shouting profanities at Al who was laughing the entire time.

Mustang sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and falling back into his chair. "They don't pay me enough to baby sit these children..."

Dmitri nodded in agreement. "To true my friend. So, what do you have for me?" Dmitri was suddenly in Mustangs face with the barrel of a hand gun pressed against his forehead making said Colonel break out in a cold sweat. "And it better not be some wild goose chase like this last mission. Seriously Colonel? You sent me to a village to meet up with these two _four months_ before they where scheduled to show up?"

Mustang smirked smugly at her. "To be honest I wasn't even positive they would go there; it was all speculation that their research would lead to them passing through that town."

Dmitri felt her brow tick and a sadistic smile crossed over her face. "You arrogant little- I should kill you here and now for wasting my time on a _hunch_!" Dmitri stepped back, pointing her thumb to her own chest. "Do you know how long I've been away from my little princess?!"

Mustang smiled a little, picking up the file he had chosen and showing it to Dmitri. "Considering you manged to meet up with your targets, your time spent there was anything _but_ useless." Dmitri huffed, cocking the gun that was still pressed against his forehead making Mustang sigh and hold up the file he had pulled, offering it to her like a kind of plea bargain. "However, as far as your princess is concerned, you'll be happy to hear where the boys will be staying over the next few months." Dmitri snatched the folder from Mustang and opened it, her eyes lighting up and her gun falling from his head, evaporating into seemingly thin air.

"All is forgiven!" Dmitri turned around grabbing hold of Ed's jacket and Al's shoulder, holding the two brothers apart with seemingly little effort. "Ok ladies, break it up! You're both gorgeous! It's time to head out!"

"Where the hell are we going with _you_?" Ed demanded as Dmitri dragged him and Al towards the office door.

"Duh, to see Shou Tucker and my little princess!" She said in return, her suddenly giddy mood making Ed and Al glance between each other curiously.

"Who?" Al asked as Mustang grabbed Dmitri's shoulder bringing her to a stop.

"Calm down Lead; I'll be coming with you as an escort." Dmitri huffed, but let Ed and Al go.

Ed readjusted his jacket irritably. "Damn it Dmitri, you stretched out my jacket!"

Dmitri shrugged. "Maybe it will convince your body to grow a little..." She mumbled under her breath.

Ed caught her comment however, and exploded. "WHO YOU CALLING A TINY LITTLE MOLE RAT?!" Dmitri snickered as she ran away from Ed, their antics making Mustang growl.

"You!"

"IF I'M TINY, THEN YOUR AN AMOEBA!"

Mustang snapped his fingers, causing a small flame to erupt between the two fighting teens that made them both squeal and jump back in fear. "That is enough you two!" He said seriously making them both gulp and stand at attention. "We're on a tight schedule! Now move out!"

"Yes sir!" Ed and Dmitri said with a small salute before they turned and hightailed it out of the room, unwilling to become Mustang's second victims that day.

Al chuckled as Mustang huffed, the two following after the young State Alchemists. "Colonel Mustang; who is this Shou Tucker?" He asked the irritated Mustang.

"He's called the Life Binding Alchemist; he is the leading expert in Chimera Transmutation living within the city." Mustang said as he eyed the back of Dmitri's head. Her and Ed where bickering once again, trying their hardest to not draw his attention to them for fear of getting their asses singed. "He is also Lead's unofficial guardian; she's been living with him off and on since his certification."

"And he can help Brother and I get our bodies back?" Al asked as they exited the building. Mustang shrugged his shoulders.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. But if anyone could help the two of you achieve your goal, it would be Tucker. He's the only man to ever successfully transmute a talking chimera." Al gasped, and if he had had his human eyes they would have been the size of dinner plates, or possibly even bigger as his excitement grew to incredible heights.

"R-really?! Brother, did you hear that?!"

Ed glanced over his shoulder, both him and Dmitri coming to a stop to allow the other two to catch up with them. "Hear what?"

"This Shou Tucker guy; he successfully transmuted a talking Chimera!" Ed and Dmitri's eyes both widened, though Dmitri's surprise soon turned to a hidden sadness that went unnoticed by the two teens.

Ed was dumbfounded. "A real life talking chimera... and this guy was able to pull it off?!"

Mustang nodded. "That seem's to be the case. I wasn't in charge at that time, so I didn't see the actual thing. I heard it could learn what people would say and speak."

Dmitri sighed, scratching her cheek. "It was a poor, tortured creature. It could speak, but because of it's molecular construction it's body wasn't strong enough, and it was in nearly constant pain." Dmitri said catching everyone's attention.

"You saw it?!" Ed and Al demanded.

Dmitri nodded, a frown tugging at her lips. "I only saw it once. And it only said one thing to me. "I want to die." " Ed blanched and if Al had had his human body, she was sure he would have gone pale.

"Yes, shortly after it is said the creature died of starvation." Mustang said as they resumed walking, heading towards a parked car.

"Shou was devastated when the Chimera died; he loved that thing like it was his very own family." Dmitri said as they got into the car with Mustang. "Anyways, that was just over two years ago; he has continued to do his research, and has made great discoveries on how to perfect his craft." She looked at the large clock at the top of the Central Tower. "If he's keeping the schedule he was when I was last home, he should be awake. If we hurry we can catch him before he goes into the lab." Dmitri laughed a little. "After that it's nearly impossible to drag him away from his research."

* * *

"Wow... this house is huge..." Ed said as they piled out of the car. Dmitri giggled and ran towards the house with a notable skip in her step while chanting 'my princess' over and over again. It was a bit disturbing for Ed and Al to watch though Mustang seemed to take it in stride as he followed her to the door and rang the bell.

Heavy foot falls from around the side of the house caught Ed's attention. He turned just in time to be tackled to the ground by what looked like a huge, white monster. "Alexander!" Dmitri shouted happily as Ed twitched and struggled to regain his breath. It was hard considering the massive white dog that lay on top of him, his tail wagging as Dmitri pet his head affectionately.

"GET THIS MUTT OFF OF ME!" Ed shouted, his words muffled by the thick grass.

Dmitri pat Alexanders head. "Such a good watch dog! Who's a good boy! _Who's a good boy!_ "

Ed growled shaking his fist at Dmitri who had now added her own weight to the dog, crushing Ed even more. "I'll get you for this you-"

"BIG SISTER!" Dmitri looked up to see a young, four year old girl with long reddish brown hair and bright blue eyes running towards her. "You're home!" Al helped Ed up as Dmitri ran to the young girl and scooped her up, spinning her around at arms length.

"Hey there Princess! Did you miss me?" Ed watched with a quirked brow as Dmitri placed multiple kisses around the little girls head and face while hugging her tightly. "Cause I sure missed you! You've gotten so big Nina!"

"Dmitri?" Everyone turned to the front door to see a man in his mid to late thirties staring out at Dmitri with wide eyes that soon turned into a warm smile. "My, and here I thought you might never make it back to us. Welcome home, Dmitri." He glanced over to Ed, Al and Mustang before settling his eyes on Ed once again. "And who might these two be? Could it be that the fated day has come, and you have brought home a boy in need of my approval?" The man, who Ed and Al assumed was Shou Tucker, held a tightness in his tone when addressing them that made each of them tense; clearly, he was none to pleased that Dmitri had brought home a couple of boys.

Catching on to what Tucker was insinuating, Ed gasped and sputtered in embarrassment. "Y-you got it all wrong! W-we just met this last week a-and-"

Dmitri laughed, holding Nina in one arm and slinging her other around Ed's neck much to his displeasure, pinching his right cheek playfully. "Yeah, I thought he was pretty handsome, so I decided to try him out for a while."

Ed's mouth flapped open and closed, a heavy duty blush covered his face. "Don't go spouting nonsense you pervert..." Ed whined out.

Mustang coughed into his hand to hide his laughter. "Fullmetal, you dog; I never knew you had it in you." He said making Ed's face go beat red.

Ed threw his arms up in the air, knocking Dmitri off of him and shouting animatedly. "IT'S NOT LIKE THAT! WE DON'T EVEN KNOW EACH OTHER! SHE'S A STALKER! A SICK, SADISTIC STALKER!"

"Prude." Mustang, Al and Dmitri said together making Ed deflate in his defeat. He just couldn't win.

* * *

"Oh Shou; _look_ at this place." Dmitri said as Tucker ushered everyone into the house. Stacks of books, boxes and countless other oddities cluttered every room making Dmitri's head spin. The last time she had been there, shortly before Mustang had ordered her to meet up with the Elric brothers, the house had been in relitively good order; she was in charge of the household chores and taking care of Nina so that Tucker could work in peace. It was Dmitri's way of paying Tucker back for allowing her to stay with him free of charge. But now all her hard work was ruined. "... So many books... so much dust..."

"I'm sorry the house is in such disorder; when you left there simply weren't enough hours in the day, and I found it hard to keep up on the house, Nina and my research." Tucker said with a sheepish smile.

Dmitri sighed, but smirked confidently. "It's ok; all it need's is some TLC. I'll have the house back in order in no time!" Nina, who was still on Dmitri's hip, wiggled to be let down.

"Can I help?! I'm getting better at reading, so I could help you read the lables!" Nina said as Dmitri let her down.

Dmitri smiled sweetly at her. "Of course you can princess; I'm gonna need someone to help me read." Ed snickered earning a harsh glare from Dmitri that made him gulp. "Why doesn't everyone head to the living room? I'll make us all some tea." Dmitri said as she let the glare melt from her face much to Ed's relief.

Shou smiled appreciatively. "Always so polite." Ed and Mustang snorted earning another death glare from Dmitri. "Very well. Colonel, Edward, Alphonse; if you would follow me, we can get down to business." Tucker knelt down and patted the top of Nina's head. "Why don't you help Dmitri in the kitchen Nina? I'm sure she would love to see how well you are at getting the tea ready." Nina's eyes sparkled and she nodded, grabbing Dmitri's hand and dragging her towards the back of the house where the kitchen was located.

"I never knew Lead was such a good house keeper." Mustang said as Tucker motioned for them to follow him down a long hall.

"Dmitri has been good to Nina and myself; I dare say, it's almost like having my wife back home. When she's here, a certain... calm comes about the house." Tucker shakes his head. "Sorry, I'm rambling." Ed smiles as they enter a large living room with multiple, fluffy couches and chairs sitting around a common sitting area. The room looked a little under used, suggesting it had been some time since Tucker has had guests, but to Ed it still looked like a million bucks. He was almost scared to sit on the couches for fear he would stain them some how; no way did he have the money to replace the whole set!

"It's quite all right; I know Lead has lived with you for some time. It is normal for parents to fawn over their children." Mustang said as they all took seats near the large oak coffee table.

Tucker smiled gently, his eyes falling down cast to stare at his hands which where folded in his lap. "Yes... Dmitri is very important to me. I am glad to have her back home, where she is safe..." Tucker's voice had been faint and unsure, making Ed give Al a questioning look to which Al slightly shrugged. Tucker suddenly moved, as if having be jostled from his thoughts. "Now then, to what do I owe this pleasant visit. Surely it wasn't just to say hello." Tucker said happily.

* * *

Dmitri watched Nina as she got into the lower cabinets to get out the serving tray. She couldn't help but smile; she was finally home. She had been worried that her mission with the Elric's was going to keep her from coming here for a while. Dmitri had missed Nina so much.

"See? Daddy got us all new serving stuff! Isn't it pretty?" Nina said as she held up the shinny silver tray.

Dmitri took it from her gently and placed it on the counter. "It _is_ beautiful! I bet you helped him pick it out, right?"

Nina nodded, a proud smile spreading across her face. "Daddy said you would like it; that's why he bought it, I bet!" She said making Dmitri chuckle. "He's always saying stuff like that. "Dmitri would love that" and stuff- he really missed you, big sister." Nina said a sad smile coming to her face. "When you didn't come back, daddy got really sad. He locked himself in his lab all the time..."

Dmitri knelt down from her task of placing crackers and meat on the tray and patted Nina's head comfortingly. "It's ok Nina; I missed you and your daddy too. I promise not to leave for so long next time, ok?"

Nina smiled and wiped at her eyes, removing the small tears that had gathered there. "I was so scared that you weren't going to come back... just like mama..."

Dmitri frowned, pulling Nina into a tight hug. "Don't ever think like that Nina. I'll never leave you, understand?" Dmitri felt Nina nod her head. " No matter how far, or how long I'm away I'll _always_ come back for you, ok? I love you Nina."

Nina's eyes widened in shock before she nuzzled deeper into Dmitri's arms. "I love you too big sister."

* * *

Dmitri walked down the hall with a now happy Nina and a drooling Alexander following close behind her. Nina carried a small plate of crackers and cheese for her father, insistent that she bring him his food. To be a 'big helper' she had said. "After we drop this off we will start going through some of those boxes, ok-?!" Dmitri stopped mid-sentence as she entered the living room to find Tucker, Mustang, Ed and Al all sitting in a tense silence. But it wasn't the thick air that made her pause, her grip on the tray nearly failing her; it was the sight of Ed, sitting across from Tucker with his black jacket off. Her eyes traveled up his right arm, across the expanse of shinny automale, all the way up until her indigo eyes locked with his surprised golden orbs. Surprise quickly turned to stone and a tight frown fell onto Ed's lips, his displeasure over the situation clear.

"My god..." Tucker said under his breath, breaking Dmitri from her staring contest with Ed.

Dmitri took a deep breath, recovering enough from her shock to address Tucker. "Shou." Suddenly Ed's eyes where not the only one's that faced her; all pairs of eyes where now locked on her, a mixture of shock and cold indifference. "The tea's ready." Dmitri walked towards them with an air of nonchalance, though she couldn't quite make herself make eye contact with anyone as she placed the tray on the table before them. Nina how ever stared openly at Ed's automale, her eyes wide and curious as she set her own small plate down before Tucker.

With tentative hands she touched Ed's forearm, making Ed tear his eyes from Dmitri to the small child. "Are you hurt mister?" Nina asked making Ed's eyes widen in shock. Dmitri gently scooped Nina up, fearing that she would do as children often do; ask questions that nobody wanted to hear the answer too. Ed smiled sadly up at her before looking down at his metal hand, folding it into a fist.

"No; don't worry. I'm fine."

Dmitri bit her lower lip nervously. "Come on Nina; I think Alexander needs to go outside. He looks like he's been slacking on his exercise since I've been gone!" Dmitri said with a light hearted smile making Nina nod excitedly. She looked at Tucker and Mustang. "If you'll excuse us. We'll leave you to your male bonding time." Dmitri left the room, ushering Alexander out with her hand, fully aware of a set of intense golden eyes boring a hole in the back of her head.


	4. The Light

Dmitri sighed and wiped the sweat from her brow after placing what felt like the 1,000th box into the store room. Her arm's ached, and her nose twitched due to the dust that floated through the air. The task of cleaning up the house seemed to be never ending; seriously, she was only gone for four months, how the hell did Tucker make such a mess?! She glanced down the hall to a large grandfather clock. Nearly 2pm. It was time for a break!

Not long after leaving the living room Dmitri had set about trying to distract herself and Nina from what had occurred by throwing herself head first into getting the house put back together. Nina soon lost interest and decided that playing out in the garden with Alexander sounded funner then going through old boxes of 'junk', leaving Dmitri to the task. Not that Dmitri minded; some of the things she was finding in the boxes where rather disturbing. Left over body parts from past chimera experiments for example. Yeah.

No to mention, not having Nina around gave Dmitri the chance to think over what she had learned; or what she _thinks_ she's learned. Ed had an automale right arm- ok, so that wasn't as strange as it sounded. Automale wasn't completely abnormal, it was just a shock that someone so _young_ would need their entire arm _and_ shoulder replaced. But being able to perform Alchemy with out a circle? That wasn't so common; actually, it was supposed to be impossible, unless... Dmitri shook her head and slapped her cheek a little. "Calm down... it's not like you can judge them... they are still Ed and Al; what ever happened in the past doesn't matter..." Nodding to herself Dmitri stretched her arms above her head, letting out a satisfied grunt when she heard her back pop. She needed some water... or maybe a glass of wine. Shou's in the lab, so he shouldn't notice, right? He mind started to wonder back to the two brothers she was now supposed to follow."Hmmm... I wonder where those two ran off to though..." Dmitri said out loud as she made her way to the kitchen; she hadn't seen the Elrics since she left them in the living room, which left her wondering where they could have ran off too. Dmitri sneaked a peek out the window; Mustang's car was gone. Had Ed and Al left with him? "Maybe their still in the living room... that was nearly five hours ago though." Dmitri mumbled under her breath as she entered the kitchen, quickly fetching herself a glass of water; the wine could wait until a little later. The sound of Nina playing just outside the back door caught her attention.

"Throw me big little brother!" With curious eyes Dmitri looked out the back door to see Al playing with Nina in the back garden. He was tossing Nina gently into the air making her squeal with delight, and making Dmitri smile a little; at least Nina had found someone else to watch over her while Dmitri worked on the house. But where was Ed? "Big sister! Look! Big little brother is so strong!" Nina called out, having caught sight of Dmitri at the door.

Said teenager stepped out onto the back porch, waving gently at Al and Nina who had stopped playing in order to wave back. "He is strong isn't he." Dmitri said with a chuckle as Nina started begging Al to toss her again. "Al, where is your brother?" Dmitri said as she eyed Alexander who lay lazily on the porch. "He's not lost under the dog again is he."

Al looked over at her and chuckled. "No; brother is still in Mr. Tucker's library. Once he gets into his research, it's hard to get him to stop." Al said as Nina tried to crawl over his shoulder and down his back like a monkey. "But Nina looked like she wanted to play and Alexander was being lazy." The dog huffed in response to the insult, but otherwise didn't move, only proving Al right.

"Did he even eat lunch?" Dmitri asked curiously. Al shook his head no before shrieking as Nina tugged on his blue loincloth. "That stubborn idiot."

* * *

Dmitri balanced a small tray on her right hand as she knocked on the door to the study. No answer. "Ed?" She knocked again. Still no answer. Dmitri sighed in exasperation. "Edward~~" She said in a sing song voice as she pushed the door open. The room looked exactly as she had left it, a but, dusty. At the end of the room beneath a large picture window sat Ed with his nose buried in a book and stacks of books around him, almost like a fort. He was leaning against the wall with his legs stretched out before him. "Ed! Put the book down and eat."

Ed didn't even flinch, let alone acknowledge that Dmitri had spoken at all. This made Dmitri huff in annoyance; Al hadn't been joking when he said it was hard to distract Ed when the boy was focused on his research. Dmitri walked up the blonde boy, her left hand coming to rest on her hip. "Ed... Edward..."

"Hmmm?"

"It's time to eat."

"Hmmm..."

"Are you even listening?"

"Hmmm..."

"You're not."

"Hmmm..."

"Do you even know that you've been in here for at least four hours?"

"Hmmm..."

Dmitri felt her brow tick in annoyance; was he even answering her, or was he reacting to something in the book? Dmitri places the tray (which held half a sandwich and a glass of apple juice) down on the desk before walking over to Ed and kneeling down beside him.

"Hey Ed."

"Hmmm..."

"I'm gonna use part of Al's armor to make a new gun."

"...Hmmm..."

Dmitri smirked; this could be fun. She reached over and twirled the end of his braid, envious of how straight his ends where; why did his hair look so nice when she doubted he did anything to take care of it?! "I'm gonna cut all your hair off."

"Hmmm..."

"Al's ran away to join the circus!"

"Hmmm..."

"Your short."

"...Hmmm..."

Dmitri quirked a brow; she thought that would get to him for sure! What the hell was he reading that was so interesting? Time to pull out the big guns, no pun intended. "What the hell is so interesting about that book?!" Dmitri grumbled as she wiggled her way under Ed's left arm, placing herself so that she was sitting between his legs with her back against his chest so she could see what he saw. The chicken scratch on the page was instantly recognizable as Shou's hand writing making Dmitri's brow furrow. Why was he reading Shou's notes on... Dmitir's mouth went dry and her shoulders stiffened when she read the header of the page. Subject 45; Shou's talking chimera. Ed turned the page, having finished with the introduction; on the next page was a photo of Shou standing beside his talking chimera with a proud smile on his face and his hand resting gently on the creatures head. Opposite of the page was a series of alchemic formulas, the steps Shou had taken to create his pride and joy.

"Water, 35 liters; carbon, 20kg; ammonia, 4 liters..." Dmitri felt her brow furrow; one of the formulas seemed strangely familiar to her. Near the bottom of list of ingredients Dmitri saw what appeared to be two red stains, almost like someone had dripped dark red ink onto the page. Bellow the two stains was another formula, one that Dmitri instantly recognized as the components that made up the average sized lion, an animal Shou used often as a comparison for his chimeras. But why was Ed looking into this kind of stuff? A glint of metal to Dmitri's right caught her attention.

Glancing over, Dmitri found that Ed's sleeve had ridden up, exposing his automale wrist. A small frown tugged at her lips; she hand't stuck around to hear the story; for all she knew, he had been in some terrible accident as a kid... but then there was Al; no suit of armor sounded so hollow when occupied by human flesh... _Ed's studying Shou's notes... so he can restore their bodies...an impossible task..._

Ed turned another page making Dmitri sigh. She leaned back against his chest and looked up, examining his face. It was still full of concentration, his eyes skimming across the page at a pace that seemed in-human; was he even absorbing anything from the words on the page? His eyes narrowed a little and his lower lip jutted out as he reread one sentence over again; she could almost see the information burning itself into his brain... _he seems really serious about this... maybe, even if just by the skin of his knuckles, he can restore their bodies..._

* * *

Ed knew Dmitri was there; how could he _not_? She came in calling his name in the most annoying fashion. But he wouldn't acknowledge her; if Ed ignored Dmitri for long enough, she would go away right? Made sense to him.

"Ed... Edward!"

Damn woman; why wouldn't she just leave him alone?! "Hmmm?"

"It's time to eat." Ed resisted the urge to roll his eyes; he had just found the file he was most interested in reading, like hell he was going to stop now!

"hmmm..."

"Are you even listening?"

"Hmmm..." Just play dumb, Ed. Just play dumb, annoy the hell out of her and she'll leave.

"You're not."

"Hmmm..."

"Do you even know that you've been in here for at least four hours?" Ed fought back a look of surprise, stopping himself from looking at the clock to confirm her words. To do so would show that he was purposely ignoring her, which would lead to god only knows what for punishment from this crazy woman. Just stick to the plan Ed!

"Hmmm..." Ed heard Dmitri sigh in aggravation, leading to a small victory dance in his head. The sound of her retreating foot steps nearly made him shout with joy; she was leaving! She was leaving! He stiffened up a little when Dmitri was suddenly beside him, sitting on her knees and poking his thigh. Damn it!

"Hey Ed."

"Hmmm..."

"I'm going to use Al's armor to make a new gun." Ed stopped his reaction from showing; she was WHAT?! Dmitri wouldn't really do that, would she- OK Ed, calm down. She's just doing this to get to you; just keep rolling with the plan! Dmitri has to give up eventually!

"...Hmmm..." He heard Dmitri snicker and nearly groaned. Ed then felt Dmitri play gently with the end of his braid, making him bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from blushing. He hated it when other people played with his hair; it was far to personal and intimate! What the hell was she thinking-

"I'm gonna cut all your hair off." He nearly growled in aggravation; it's like she lived to mess with his head! He refused to lose to her!

"...Hmmm..."

"Al's ran off to join the circus!" Ed hid his humor; an mental image of Al (as armor) trying to tight rope walk in a tutu filtered across his mind.

"...Hmmm..."

"You're short." Humor gone! Ed fumed internally; he was going to kill her! Make her cry like a little baby! _... who is she calling a microscopic speck of dirt?!..._ On the outside, though it was killing him internally to do so, Ed stayed calm. Barely.

"...Hmmm..."

He saw Dmitri move out of the corner of his eye; was she actually leaving now? He hoped so; he only wanted to read this file- "What the hell is so interesting about that book?!" Dmitri hissed under her breath. Ed's eyes widened into saucers when he suddenly found Dmitri wiggling her way under his left arm (nearly knocking the book from his grasp) and pushing herself to sit between his outstretched legs, her back brushing lightly against his chest and her head falling just bellow his. An outrageous blush erupted over his face, to intense for him to fight off completely. It was only when Dmitri stopped squirming that Ed risked taking a peek at her from the corner of his eye.

Doing so only made his cheeks heat up all over again. At some time she had changed cloths, trading out her shorts, tank top and over-sized jacket for a pair of black, skin tight ankle pants (he thinks their called leggings...?) and a large over-sized dark blue sweater that had the neck cut out of it, allowing it to expose her right shoulder... which was right under his nose!

To close! His brain shouted at him as his eyes flicked up to the side profile of her face. Her hair was in a lose braid that fell over her left shoulder and down to his thigh with a few pieces having fallen out that tickled the right side of her neck. Behind those stray pieces of hair, Ed spied two large freckles that lay just beneath her ear lobe. Feeling a strange flutter in his gut he moved his eyes to her actual face, noting that she wore very little makeup. Huh; he had thought she would be wearing more. Despite this, her skin looked very smooth. Dmitri obviously took good care of her skin, as (despite having stayed in a desert town for nearly four months) her skin was fair in color, and she didn't sport any tan lines. Her brows where neat, though not as thin as he has seen on other women. They suited her face fine enough he supposed. Her nose was small and button like, a small bump in the bridge hinting that it has been broken and fixed at least twice. She had full lips, her bottom lip seeming to be stuck in a permanent pout, though that could be because, like now, she always seemed to be biting it.

But her best feature, was probably her eyes as cliched as it sounded. Her lashes where thick, and such a deep black that they almost looked blue when the light hit them just right. Her eyes themselves where a strange shade of blue, looking almost purple at times when she was in deep thought, like now. When he had first met her, just a few days ago really, the color had intrigued him; they always seemed to be shinning, even when she was dead on her feet tired as she had been the other night when they first boarded the train back to central. Though the natural light in her eyes couldn't compare to the light that shinned in them when she first laid eyes on Nina earlier this morning. It was like she had been brought back to life _...it's still there... that light..._ he thought absentmindedly as his shoulders relaxed once again.

His eyes flicked back to the book in his hands; the book that now rested against Dmitri's bent knees. Maybe he could get some reading done...? She seemed content enough to stay there, and if it kept her quiet then he would allow it... that was until she started mumbled things under her breath as soon as he turned the damn page! Could she not sit still and be quite for longer then two seconds?! _... ugg, now what is she doing?..._ Dmitri wiggled her way out from his lap, once again nearly knocking the book from his hands. He bit back a relieved sigh; she was finally leaving him to his research-?!

Ed stared with wide eyes at his, now, empty hands. "What the hell-!?" His exclamation of surprise was interrupted as half a sandwich was nearly shoved down his throat with enough force that it pushed his head back. "Woph a ig hichia?!" Though it came out muffled he knew Dmitri, who was standing over him arm's crossed and smug faced, understood every word. She knelt down before him, her smug smirk turning into a stubborn frown.

"Eat it." She growled out making Ed grumble, but comply. If it would get her to leave him alone, he would do anything! She sighed in exasperation before standing and pulling the book he had been trying to read from behind her back. "Honestly Ed, you've been at this for most of the day. Don't you think it's about time you took a break?" Ed scoffed.

"It's not like I have unlimited time to look through this stuff; I have to get as much of this research read as I can before I leave tonight." He said around a mouthful of food.

Dmitri smirked at his childish behavior before handing him the glass of apple juice and a napkin. "Don't talk with your mouth full Ed; what, where you raised in a barn?"

Ed smirked and shook his head."Nope, but close. An automail mechanic's shop!" He said before downing the juice in one go. Ed would never admit it, but he was grateful for the food even if it was just a tease to what he would have normally eaten as a meal. He hadn't realized how long he had been at it, and he really was hungry. Again, he'd never tell _anyone_ let alone the smart ass woman that now traded his empty glass for the book.

"Heh, why am I not surprised by that." Dmitri said with a roll of her eyes. "But seriously, if I catch you trying to skip a meal again I'll beat you into a bloody pulp." It was Ed turn to roll his eyes.

"What do you care-?" Dmitri grabs his right, metallic wrist, holding it up as if for Ed's own inspection. "Hey! What are you doing!?"

"You wan't to restore your's and Al's bodies, right? That's why your so interested in Shou's research." Ed's eyes widened in surprise before falling to the visible automail of his wrist. "It's none of my business what happened; I honestly don't care to know. But you can't expect to succeed at such a dangerous goal if you don't take care of what's left of your flesh and blood. Imagine how shitty it would be if you somehow gained the knowledge to reach your goal, only to have your body give up on you at the last second. You could die, Ed; and then where would that leave Al?"

Ed huffed in annoyance and pulled his arm away from her roughly. "Are you done scolding me?"

Dmitri chuckled. "For now." Dmitri then reached down and pinched Ed's cheek earning a squeak of discomfort from the blond boy. "Keep it up with that mouth of your's and I'll nag your damn ear off!" Ed batted her hand away with a glare and a growl. This made Dmitri full out laugh. " Just know that if you plan on holing yourself up in here when ever you come over, I'm going to force you to eat, ok? That baby face of yours is just to cute to let it turn to skin and bone."

Ed's face lit up like a lantern. "W-will you stop saying stuff like that!"

"Wow, you really are a prude arn't you." She said with a smug smirk earning a huff of annoyance from Ed. "No wonder you've never been kissed before."

"Wha-?! Who told you that?!" Ed demanded, his face scrunched up confusion. A light suddenly clicked on in his brain making him growl and hold up his fist threateningly. "Al! That little punk, wait until I get my hands on h-h-h-immmm...!" Ed fumbled mid rant as Dmitri placed a small kiss on the cheek she had been previously abusing. The kiss was innocent and short lived, with Dmitri pulling back after just a couple seconds of contact to smile at him cheekily.

"There! Now you can say you've been kissed by a girl." Dmitri walked away then, taking the empty tray into her hands as she headed towards the door. "I'll be back in a few hours with your dinner! Study hard boys!" She called over her shoulder as she disappeared through the door, leaving Ed gaping after her on the floor, his face as red as an apple.

He didn't know how long he sat there staring after her, his heart going a hundred miles and hour in his chest and his cheek's flushed ; all he knew was that the sudden appearance of his younger brother at his side scared the living day lights out of him.

"Hey brother?"

Ed nearly jumped out of his skin, the book in his hand clattering to the ground loudly in his surprise. "A-Al! H-how long have been there?"

Al giggled innocently making Ed's blood go a little cold. "Oh, not very long. I took a little break to play with Nina; she was bored since Dmitri was cleaning up the mess Tucker's made since she's been gone." Ed felt his heart nearly stop with how relieved he was; the last thing he needed was for Al to have seen what Dmitri had just put him through. Speaking of whom... Ed's ears perked up at the sound of chatter and laughter through the window above him.

Ed and Al turned around to peek out the window. They where greeted by the sight of Nina and Dmitri walking along the edge of the flower bed, picking flowers and placing them in a large basket. Dmitri sniffed every flower she picked before holding it for Nina to smell as well. The two brothers watched Nina and Dmitri for a while, enjoying the silent simplicity of the moment.

"...She reminds me of mother..." Al suddenly said making Ed's eyes widen in surprise.

Ed quickly recovered from his show though and sighed, leaning against the window frame with his shoulder. "What are you talking about Al? Dmitri isn't anything like mom." If Al had his body, Ed would have thought his brother was on drugs; the brash, overbearing trouble making teen he'd been forced to travel with over the last few days was _nothing_ like his sweet, caring, selfless mother.

Al shook his head in disagreement earning a quirked brow from his older brother. "It's her eyes... when she look's at Nina. That's when I see mom in her."

Ed glanced at his somber brother before his eyes roamed back to the two girls in the garden. Dmitri was kneeling now, placing a white daisy behind Nina's ear with a careful hands and a gentle smile. Her eyes held the same light in them as they had earlier that morning; a kind of saddened happiness that both confused and intrigued him. "... What ever you say Al..." The two brothers sat in silence once more, each of them getting lost in their own thoughts.

"Oh, by the way brother..." Ed grunted to show he was listening. "... I don't think it count's if the girl kisses _you_ on the cheek." Ed gives Al a confused look; what the hell was he talking about? "No matter how pretty she is."

Realization dawned on Ed making his face catch fire once again. "S-Shut up!" Ed fumed as Al danced away from Ed's flying fist, leaving his older brother to stew in his own embarrassment. He was really getting tired of being the topic of everyone's mocking!


	5. Game On

Ed POV-

The time was drawing near. My eyes darted towards the large clock that sat against the wall across from me. It was nearly 2 pm. In the two weeks Al and I have spent at Tuckers, I have come to realize two things. Number one; Tucker has been doing his research for a very, _very_ long time! I've hardly made a dent in his notes and published works, let alone the books he _didn't_ write! Number two; Dmitri had been serious when she threatened me about skipping meals. I still have a bit of a headache from an episode last week... Every day, at 8am, 2pm and 8pm, Dmitri would come knocking at the door with a plate of food and a glass of juice. I tried to fight her the first couple days; I didn't need to be coddled like a child damn it! But after nearly losing an eye to a fork, I decided to let her have her way about the matter.

And honestly, I can't complain. Her food was good, and it always seemed to amp me up to dive back into the books. The only thing I could live with out, is her irritating 'habit' of playing with my god damn cheeks! If she pinches them one more time, I might just bite her hand off. No joke. And then, she think's she can just "kiss it and make it better", like the abuse never even happened! I could feel my face heat up at the many memories of Dmitri planting small pecks to my face and... other places.

It's not in my nature to take anything laying down. So about a week ago, I decided to attempt to block her kisses of doom with my right leg. Dmitri actually had the gal to plant a fat kiss right to my knee cap, and _laugh_ about it! So, having failed to block her with my leg, I changed tactics; two days later I blocked her with my left hand; she _licked_ my palm. Full on, licked my palm from my wrist to the tip of my middle finger. Was it gross? Yes. Does it haunt me? Absolutely! But today, today will be different-

"Edward~~" Speak of the devil. I felt my brow tick in annoyance while my stomach did this weird back flip thing, something it always did when ever Dmitri decided to grace me with her irritating presence. A now familiar head of white blond hair and illuminating indigo eyes popped through the door of the study, her lips curled into a sheepish grin. "Glad to see you're between books." She said as she stepped into the room carrying a small tray which contained a couple slices of bread, some casserole left over from the previous nights dinner and a glass of that I was sure contained some kind of juice. "It's a real pain to try and get you to put those book's down."

"Yeah yeah," I said as she set the tray down at the desk. Like had become normal, I sat at the desk to eat my lunch; something about barn's and what not. Either way, it kept her from nagging me so I was more then willing to comply. "How's the cleaning coming along? You have to be close to done with it by now; it's been almost two weeks since you started." Dmitri hopped up onto the desk, laying back so she was stretched out over it's surface, her back popping a few times as she stretched it out.

"I have one more room to go through, but it will be the hardest. I'm hoping Nina will go down for a nap soon so I can do it with out her knowing..." Dmitri said, her tone sounding less the enthused.

"You make it sound like it's some big, diabolical place..."

"It kind of is; Nina has a large collection of toy's that she refuses to get rid of, despite the fact that most of them are broken." She says with a sigh, though a small smile rested on her face. "I doubt she even know's that half of them exist!"

I shrugged as I took a bite of the casserole; still fantastic. Who knew rough and tumble Dmitri was such a good cook? "So just throw them away; broken things shouldn't been held on to, unless you plan to re-purpose them." Dmitri stared at me for a long while and I began to wonder if I had said something to upset her in some way. She finally sighed, using her arm to cover her eyes.

"Yeah..." She whispered.

Yep, she's upset. Shit.

"Nina's grown up believing that her mother just walked out on her and her father." Dmitri said forlornly. "Because of that, she gains an emotional attachment to who ever, and what ever she can. She hold's on to things that are broken, because she doesn't want to lose that emotional attachment." She chuckles darkly, the arm that was covering her eyes moving so she could stare up at the ceiling. "It's hard for me to take those thing's away from her, even if they are broken..."

I sat back in the desk chair, staring at her curiously. The way she spoke about Nina, it was like she could relate to her in some way. It was then that I realized just how little I actually _knew_ about Dmitri. Granted, she never seemed to shut up, but she was never talking about herself. It was always about Nina, or Tucker or the people she has worked with and about what _they_ did on her past missions.

But Dmitri seemed to know an awful lot about Al and I. Granted, I think Al had a lot to do with that, but still; she even knew about my aversion to milk, or seemed to as she had never tried to make me drink that foul liquid (it must be cultivated by the devil). I had even over heard her talking to Nina about mine and Al's birthdays, a topic that had _NEVER_ come up between any of us. To be honest, it was a little unsettling...

Dmitri sat up as if suddenly awoken from a sound sleep. "Anyways! Have you made any progress on your reading? I would hope your not up here just lazing about."

"For your information, I _have_ made progress. While you and Al spend your days playing house, I've been taking diligent notes that may just help Al and I get our bodies back to normal." Dmitri, out of no where, pull's out a very familiar note book from god only know's where and starts flipping through the pages. "H-hey! Where did you get that from?!" I felt the pockets of my jacket; I could have sworn I had put it away earlier!

"I was doing laundry and it fell out." She said making me nearly face palm myself. It was yesterday that I had put it into my pocket. Was time really starting to mesh together so much that I couldn't remember when a day has passed? "I was looking over your most recent notes; why are they all incomplete?" I snatched the note book from her and stashed it away in my inner coat pocket.

"That's the way Tucker's notes read; it like he just abandons his projects before they really get off the ground. The only subject he had that reached completion was Subject 45." Dmitri sighed, running her fingers through her hair and gnawing at her bottom lip.

"The talking chimera; he told me that it was his first successful experiment. He loved it almost as much as he loves Nina." She said dejectedly as she pulls her legs up to her chest, resting the heels of her feet on the desk's edge. "He mourns it's death to this day, spending hours in his lab in order to try and recreate that chimera." Dmitri shudders a little, mild disgust clear on her face. "I just hope, for that poor creatures sake, that he perfects it next time. The pain that poor beast must have been in... it decided it would rather _starve to death_ then face the pain of being alive."

I wasn't sure how to react to Dmitri's disgust. She was so full of admiration towards Tucker, it was odd seeing her regarding his work with such sadness. But then again, if I had bared witness to the creatures only spoken words, "I wan't to die", perhaps I would feel the same as her. What Tucker did was fantastic, revolutionary; but it came the cost of a living creatures life. Tucker got recognition for his work and was certified as a State Alchemist. He wen't from having nothing to being wealthy, and being able to give his only child anything she could ever want; but the creature who had made it possible for him to live such a life, was rewarded with pain, suffering and eventual death by self starvation. It was hard to see the equivalency...

"Hello?" Dmitri waves her hand in front of my face, breaking me from my conflicting thoughts. "Earth to Ed! Hurry up and drink your juice before it gets warm." I glanced at the galss, my brow furrowing. Maybe I was being a little paranoid. I mean, she couldn't possibly know anything truly personal, right? Only one way to find out I guess...

"Why do you always bring juice? Why not milk?" I asked, holding back a physical shudder as the putrid word came out of my mouth. Speaking it left a sour taste in the back of my throat.

"Hmm?" Dmitri quirked a brow at me, her eyes shinning with mild confusion and a little amusement, making my cheeks heat up a little. Seriously body? The hell is wrong with you! She's not even doing anything, stop blushing- "Well, you don't like milk right?" I blanched a little; so she _did_ know? But how?!

"How do you know?" Dmitri placed her finger against her chin in mock thought.

"Well..." She reached out and placed her hand on top of my head making me flinch a little; I really wasn't used to human contact. "It's a little obvious..." I felt my temper flare.

"WHO YOU CALLING A MICRO PIG?!" I hissed between my teeth. Anyone else would have cowered at the death glare I was giving her, but Dmitri simply shrugged her shoulders with a small smile.

"I figured I was allowed to call you short-"

"NOT SHORT!"

"-Seeing as how you are taller than me." I nearly ranted again but stopped as I processed what she had said. Was I really taller then someone?! Faster then even I could react I stood up and pulled Dmitri off the desk, standing her just inches in front of me holding on to her waist as she tried to resist the sudden movements. "H-hey! What the hell are you-?" I placed my heavy right hand on the top of her head, effectively shutting her up, mesmerized that I had to look _down_ to stare at the back of said hand. Was Dmitri really this small? It seemed serial to me; her personality was so... _out there_ that I had never even paid attention to her actual size. But she was right; even if she put on heel's she would still be shorter then me by an inch or so... I jumped when I felt small (oh great not everything about her was going to scream tiny to me!) hands brushing lightly against my chest. "You got crumbs all over yourself." Dmitri said in exasperation. "Honestly, what am I going to do with you Ed."

"You could stop treating me like a child." I said with out thinking making Dmitri take half a step back, her thighs making hard contact with the edge of the desk. I felt my eyes widen in shock at the suddenly blank look she was giving me. Her eyes where so dull and listless it was almost scary.

"You are a child." She said as if it was an obvious observation.

I scowled. "No I'm not-"

"You're only 15 Ed; a child by societies standards." I felt anger bubbling in my chest but tried to ignore it; what did she know anyways? Nothing, that's what!

"So are you! So where do you get off babying _me_ and scolding _me_?!" Dmitri sank back onto the desk, her head falling so her chin rested against her chest allowing her lose bangs to hide most of her face.

"I'm a different kind of child." The way she spoke was similar to the way she had sounded when talking about Tuckers chimera; disgusted. "We're actually kind of similar in that respect I guess." She said in a monotone voice that sent a small shiver down my spine. I may be furious with her right now, but I didn't like this Dmitri. She was far to calm- "We where all young, Al included, when the world decided that we needed to grow up."

"Don't compare yourself to me, or Al for that matter! You have no idea what we've been through!" I said harshly, moving to walk away from her. I was done with this conversation, with this woman. I didn't want to have this conversation with her; I wasn't in the mood to be judged for this _again_ \- Dmitri stopped me with a hard grip to my right arm, one I (thankfully) couldn't feel, though her knuckles where white with the force she was using. " _What?!_ " I shouted, barely restraining myself from ripping my arm from her hold to prevent hurting her on the hard steal.

"Can I see it?" She asked bluntly; her question caught me off guard and made me snap out of my anger. I didn't answer quick enough it seemed as Dmitri pulled me back towards her by my wrist tentatively, and still being in a state of waning shock I didn't even fight against her. With visibly nervous fingers she removed my ever present white glove, exposing the shinning metal of my palm then fingers to her now curious eyes. When her fingers brushed against my auto mail palm I found myself sucking in a quick breath. I couldn't feel her fingers on my hand, but I was suddenly very aware that Dmitri was standing just a few inches away from me, running her finger tips along each individual digit as if they where made of glass. Which of course, their not; steal was anything but breakable. But she acted as if, at any moment, my auto mail was going to crumble in her hands.

It put me on very high alert; I'm not used to people treating me like glass. I was Edward Elric; Hero to The People, a prodigy State Alchemist. People often refereed to me as a pillar of strength. It was unsettling to see such a serine look being aimed towards me, let alone my automail... The feeling of gentle tugging brought me out of my thoughts. With out me noticing Dmitri had managed to undo the single snap at the base of my throat and had pushed my jacket off my shoulders, pulling my right arm out and exposing it completely.

If I had felt weird before, it was a thousands times worse now. It felt like I might as well be standing naked. I didn't understand why I was so nervous all of a sudden; plenty of people have seen my automail, and I had never batted an eye. I knew what they all where thinking; that I was fool. A stupid kid to attempt something so ta-boo. But this was different; I couldn't tell what Dmitri was thinking. Just like the first time there was no surprise, no shock evident on her face. Just her curious eyes and her teeth gnawing away at her bottom lip as she concentrated on the individual divots and angles of my arm.

"It's beautiful." She said suddenly making me jump in surprise; I hadn't expected her to speak, and her words only served to shock me more. "I don't know why you insist on hiding your arm Ed; it's truly beautiful."

"It's- is that all you have to say?" I asked, my voice coming out in a whisper despite my efforts to raise it in alarm. The hell was she thinking?! Was she seeing the same thing that I was? Sure, the design was incredible; Winry was the best mechanic anyone could ask for. But apart from that, it was a horrible disfigurement; a testament to my failures, to the horrible crime I committed not only against the state, but my very own brother. It was hideous, disgusting; who would want to look at something like that all the time?

"... Do you wan't me to say that it disgusts me? That you're an idiot; a fool for trying something so dangerous, while blinded by your grief?"

I felt every muscle in my body tense up. "Everybody else has." Dmitri shook her head, a small frown forming over her lips. Her fingers brushed over the seam between my the metal of my arm and the flesh of my chest, tracing one of the many scares left over from the painful surgery that lead to its attachment. I felt goose bumps rise up on my flesh arm, a small shiver going down my spine; it's been a long time since I've felt any kind of physical touch that wasn't my mother, or Winry on the rare visits I've made for maintenance.

"Don't ask, don't tell." She said suddenly, taking my attention away from the warmth spreading across my chest from the tips of her fingers. "That's the way I see it. I know what you did, and it doesn't take a scientist to understand why you did it. I don't know who you lost, or when, or how you gained the knowledge to attempt to bring them back. I don't know how you knew how to bond Al to his armor. And I don't expect you to tell me; it's none of my business." It was like suffering from whiplash; for the first time in a long, _long_ time I wasn't being judged for what I had done. The guilt I felt was immeasurable; I had tried to do the impossible, at the cost of my brothers body a two of my own limbs. The weight had grown to be nearly suffocating with each person who would learn the truth, their scrutinizing, judgmental stares (or leers in some cases) only adding to the horrible wound on my heart. Watching Dmitri, this strange girl that I knew nothing about, play with the metallic fingers of my right hand seemed to lift a little of that weight away. "So, you showed me your's; do you want to see mine?"

"Y-your... what?" I said, barely catching her sentence at it's tail end.

"My scar. Or one of them, at least..." Holding my right hand in her's she reached down to the hem of her tank top with her left, pulling the fabric up and exposing her hip. A light blush bloomed on my face, though it disappeared once I saw what was hiding under her clothing. A large, vicious looking scar marred her pale flesh, running from bellow the edge of her shorts up and around the curve of her hip and disappearing towards her back. It was jagged and a little lumpy, showing that the wound had been poorly sutured. I reached out with my free left hand and traced the scar gently. "My hip broke when I was 13. Shattered; my doctor at the time... he had a new form of treatment he wanted to try. He was able to replace the whole thing with a metal prosthetic."

"Metal? Under the skin?" I found myself asking in disbelief. Dmitri nodded, using her left hand to move mine to a different spot on her hip. The flesh there was notably warmer then the scared tissue. "... that's... incredible. I've never heard of such a thing! But... you where so young. A hip is a hard bone to break, let alone shatter..." My brow furrowed in confusion.

"Are you going to ask me what happened?"

I glanced up at her, trying hard to read what she was hiding behind her strange eyes. Her tone was casual enough, but I could tell there was something else there. "...Don't ask, don't tell." I said with a sigh. My curiosity _was_ killing me, but I could't bring myself to ask her for more information. She had been gracious enough to leave the gristly details of my past alone, and I would do the same for her. Her face split into a soft smile that made my stomach do that stupid back flip thing again.

"Thank's Ed..." And with that, she kissed the cold metal of my palm, making me scowl and huff in annoyance.

I pulled my hand away, rubbing it against my pant leg. Even if I couldn't feel it on the hand, the act was unsettling and it made those damn flips nearly unbearable. "Damn it! Why do you do things like that?" I asked as I moved away from her quickly before she could get any more crazy ideas. She snickered, the playful glint returning to her eyes much to my relief. Serious Dmitri was almost to much to handle.

"You sure you wanna know? You may not like the answer you get." She said cryptically making me pause before I answered her. What if it was something horrible? Like, she had this incurable disease that could be spread via having contact with her mouth! And she was secretly trying to poison me!

"Yeah I wanna know! It's weird, and suspicious!" I ranted at her making her quirk a brow, her lips becoming tight as she tried to hid an amused smile.

"Suspicious huh? If you're completely sure you wan't to know..." She turned around and grabbed the empty tray, tsking as she looked into the still full glass of now warm juice. "Didn't even finish your meal..." She mumbled under her breath.

"Are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to force it out of you?" I asked in a threatening tone, holding my automail fist up to emphasize my words. Would I actually hit her? Hell no; not that I think it would truly hurt her, but because I was worried about what she might do in retaliation. Almost took a fork to the eye for not eating correctly, remember? Dmitri didn't take my threat seriously, laughing full out as she headed for the door. I huffed in agitation; she was going to make this difficult for me-

"I do that kind of stuff," she said in a sing song voice as she glanced innocently over her shoulder at me. "Because it bothers you." I felt every part of my body go limp with surprise, my mouth flapping open and closed like a fish out of water.

"W-W-WHAT?! You can't be serious!" Dmitri sticks her tongue out at me making my blood boil. Who the hell does she think she is?! "I'm going to get you for this! You hear me demon woman?!" Dmitri laughs at my threat much to my humiliation. "I'm serious!"

"And what are you going to do, hmm?" She asked mockingly.

"Two can play at this game! I'll just embarrass the hell out of _you_ and see how YOU like it!" I said, a triumphant smirk coming to my face. However instead of a look of horror all I got was more laughter as she turned away from me again and continued towards the door.

"The day you get the courage up to fight fire with fire in this battle, _Al_ will learn how to fly!" Her taunt was enough to make me grit my teeth. So, she thought I wasn't brave enough to embarrass her?! Well we'll just see about that! Unfortunately before I could issue a true challenge to her, Dmitri had left the room in a fit of giggles. I growled, running my left hand through my bangs.

"It is so on."

* * *

Dmitri stirred the contents of a big soup pot leisurely, taking a big whiff of the spicy aroma that steamed from it's depths. The weather had started to turn chilly over the last few nights, and she decided to shake things up a bit by making a recipe called 'Deep South Chili'... she wasn't sure why it's name refereed to the deep south, as she had actually learned it from a village woman in the far north on one of her missions, but she didn't really care to know. It tasted good, and that's all that really mattered.

Dmitri reached overhead for a canister of dried hot peppers, intent on crumbling them into the chili to ad a little more zest. Her fingers brushed against the canister juts as her stomach dropped and the room began to spin, making her real back in surprise. With out thinking she grasped the closest thing to her to regain her balance only to shout out in surprise and pain as her palm made contact with the hot stove top. She stumbled back into the kitchen table, knocking a glass bowl to the ground where it shattered, the sound causing her ears to ring and her vision to go black.

"Dmitri!" Heavy foot fall's and the sound of clanking metal alerted her to Al's presence in the kitchen just seconds before his over sized hands grabbed onto her shoulders, keeping her from falling to the side and allowing her to stabilize the spinning in her head. "What's happened?! Are you ok?! Your hand!" Dmitri felt the world around her starting to slow down until she was able to focus on Al's face, which oddly enough seemed to hold a concerned look on it's unchanging metallic surface. She grabed his forearms, sighing as the cold metal pressed against her burnt flesh.

"I-I'm fine Al- I just got a little dizzy that's all." She said, giving him a reassuring smile. Al was about to call her out on her bull shit when Nina suddenly came running into the kitchen, having heard the commotion from the hall.

"Big sister!" The feeling of small arms wrapping around her leg drew Dmitri's eyes down and to the top of Nina's head. "Are you sick? Should I go get daddy?"

Dmitri sighed, releasing Al's arm and petting the top of Nina's head reassuringly with her uninjured hand. "No princess, I'm not sick; I was just standing over the stove for to long." She said. Al wasn't convinced; Dmitri always cooked dinner, and she's never fainted like that. Who knows what might have happened if Al hadn't come into the kitchen just now. She might have ended up falling on the broken glass, bleeding out before anyone came down for dinner! A small rap-tap-tap on the side of his helmet broke Al from his thoughts. "Earth to Alphonse; stop worrying so much ok? I can practically hear you thinking. Now take Nina to wash her hand's for dinner please; it should be done in a few minutes." Al nodded, taking a step back from Dmitri and releasing her shoulders. Dmitri was a little sad that she couldn't use his armor as a cold compress anymore, but her hand already felt hundreds of times better, so she could live with out it.

Nina whined at the mention of washing up for dinner. She didn't understand why she needed too; she was just going to get dirty again! "Awwww, big sister, do I have to? I'm not even dirty..."

Dmitri quirked a brow at her making Nina blush sheepishly. "So you weren't out in the garden at all today?" Nina blushed ten times harder, shaking her head and hiding her hands behind her back so that Dmitri couldn't see the grass stains on her palms from doing somersaults and cartwheels. Dmitri giggled and reached down, tugging a small leaf out of Nina's bangs and showing it to the flustered child. "Perhaps it's best to wash up anyways. I know the floors haven't been washed in a while, and I'd hate for you to get sick, ok?" Nina nodded contritely before scampering out of the kitchen leaving Al and Dmitri to chuckle in amusement.

"At times she reminds me of brother when he was that age; he used to hate washing up for dinner too." Al said with a laugh making Dmitri smile. "Oh, speaking of brother, he told me that he was going to come down for dinner tonight." Dmitri's eyes widened in mild shock; it wasn't like Ed to come eat with the rest of them. He normally didn't even realize it was dinner time until Dmitri brought up his food.

"Is that so? Well I look forward to seeing his face at the table." Dmitri said with a little snicker.

"Umm, Dmitri; he said something else that has me worried..." Al said, his voice suddenly thick with confusion and obvious distress.

"Hmm?"

"He said that, he was coming down to dinner to 'asses the enemy'... do you know what he means? He said you would so..." Dmitri's brow furrowed for a moment. The hell was Ed thinking- their conversation from earlier that day flew across her mind making her snort in a rather unladylike fashion. "Dmitri? You ok?" Al asked and Dmitri started to laugh hysterically as she walked over and grabbed the broom to clean up the broken bowl.

"Haha, it's nothing to worry about Al. Just sit back and watch the game begin." She said making Al scratch the back of his head in confusion.


	6. Feverish

Al felt a wave on confusion wash over him as he watched his brother approach Dmitri from across the room, a devious smile on his face. Dmitri stood facing away from Ed, her hands busy working on wiping down the book case. She had decided to dust the whole house that day, and only had the study left to do, though it seemed she was taking her time in this particular room. Al and Ed had been studying hard until she came in, and suddenly it seemed as if Ed couldn't concentrate anymore, which threw Al for quite the loop. _Ed_ , unable to concentrate on a _book_? Now he was sure he could say he's seen just about everything.

If had had his face, he would be furrowing his brow as he watched Ed lean over Dmitri's shoulder, seeming to whisper something in her ear. Dmitri then laughed a little, a small blush coming to her cheeks as she turned a little towards Ed, whispering something back to him that seemed to have startled him. He backed away from her, his cheeks a bright red and scowl plastered across his face.

"You play dirty..." Al heard Ed grumble out, which earned snicker from Dmitri who turned back to what she had been doing.

"Stoop to my level and you'll see just how much fun you could have Ed." She said over her shoulder making Ed scoff. "And damn Ed, step up your _game_. You can't expect to beat me with such childish words..." Ed huffed, turning on his heel and stalking over to Al who was rubbing the back of his neck in confusion.

This is what had been confusing Al over the last week. Ed and Dmitri often shared little moments like this, the two of them whispering to each other, looking completely at ease until one of them would say something (and Al didn't know what it was they where talking about) and the other would blush or stammer, or in some cases (though it was mostly Dmitri at said times) laugh out loud making the person who had spoken blush and sputter like an idiot. They would separate then, and hardly acknowledge each other for a while, but then the whole process would start over again. It was almost like a strange dance, one that Dmitri seemed to be leading in most of the time as it was more then likely that Ed would be the first to back down-

"I can't stand that woman." Ed huffed out as he plopped down on the ground beside Al who jumped in surprise.

"Ummm, brother?"

"She's so damn full of herself it's sickening-"

"Brother-"

"I'll have to wipe that smug smirk off her face-"

"Ed!" Al half shouted making Ed jump a little.

"Jeeze Al, did you have to shout? I'm sitting right here..." Ed said with annoyance making Al sigh in defeat. "What's up?"

"I should be asking _you_ that; what's going on between you and Dmitri? I mean, not that I would mind, but are you two-"

Ed suddenly gave Al a look of death, his finger pointing in his face threateningly. " _Do not finish that sentence..._ "

Al held his hands up in surrender, letting out a little 'meep' of panic. "O-Ok! So there's nothing there, I get it! So then, what are you two doing?"

Ed sighed, relaxing against the wall a little and thumbing through one of the many books that lay around them. "It's... kind of stupid. Dmitri told me that she likes to embarrass me just _because,_ so I kind of decided that I was going to do the same to her."

Al's shoulders slumped. "Really? That's why you two are acting so weird around each other? Because Dmitri embarrassed you?"

Ed huffed. "I told you it was stupid..." It took a lot for Ed to admit that he was participating in something so _childish_ \- he was Edward Elric, damn it-

"What did she do?" Al asked making Ed's face light up like a Christmas tree. "Wait... is this about that kiss she gave you?!" Al shouted with excitement. Ed panicked and waved his hands around, hissing at Al to shut up before Dmitri heard them talking. "Brother... is that what she means when she tell's you to "step up your game"?"

"W-what do you mean?!" Ed asked in a hushed tone, his eyes glancing over to make sure Dmitri hadn't heard them. She had apparently found a book that had looked interesting as she now flicked through it's pages, her dust rag draped over her shoulder.

"Have you kissed her back yet?" Al asked as if it was the most obvious thing to do.

If Ed had been drinking something, he would have spit it all over himself and Al. "D-don't be a pervert! _No_ I haven't kissed her back, and I don't plan to! I refuse to stoop down to her level!" Ed said, his fist's balled up in frustration and his face set in a scowl.

Al chuckled, shaking his head. "Then I'm afraid that you've already lost brother."

"What?! I have not!" Ed ranted making Al wave his hands in a hope of calming Ed down.

"But brother, Dmitri _is_ willing to do that kind of stuff in order to win; she may be playing a little dirty, but from what I've seen it's going to take that kind of stuff to get a reaction out of her. What have you been doing up until now?"

Ed's face became hot once again making him turn away to hide his embarrassment. "I-I- I don't want to talk about this! It's embarrassing enough as it is!"

Al sighed. "You haven't really done anything have you?" Ed twitched a little, unwilling to justify Al's assumption with an answer. "Oh brother..." Al said in a dejected tone, clearly unsatisfied with Ed's lack of "action" as it were.

Ed scowled. "I-I've been complimenting her, ok? About her cleaning and cooking and stuff..." Al tried hard to hide his laughter but it wasn't hard for Ed to understand why Al was suddenly shaking like a leaf. "Hey! Don't laugh at me! Like you could do any better!" Al shrugged his shoulders.

"Dmitri hears that kind of stuff all the time from Tucker and Nina; she's used to it. If you wan't to truly get under her skin, try doing something she _isn't_ used to. Like, I don't know... try telling her she's beautiful, or hold her hand or something." Al rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "It's so weird giving you advice on girls brother; aren't _you_ supposed to know more about them then me? I mean, you _are_ the older brother."

Ed grumbled and crossed his arms behind his head, an agitated frown pulling at his lips. "Like I've had time to learn anything about girls; Winry's the only girl I've ever interacted with, and it normally ends with me running for my life because I damaged her 'babies'. And Winry's _never_ even thought about doing to me what Dmitri does. It's border line, umm..."

"Sexual harassment?" Al supplies making Ed's cheeks go bright red.

"S-shut up... look, the point is I don't like this touchy-feely crap, so it's hard for me to do anything that oversteps that boundary." Ed said, his eyes falling closed in concentration. "To be honest, some of the crap she pull's... I haven't had any of that since mom died. It feels... weird." Al heard the deep undertones of anger and sadness that laced it's way into Ed's voice despite his attempt to block it out.

"Did you tell her any of this? I'm sure if you did, she would back off. I mean, to her this is just some kind of game..."

Ed's eyes snapped open at that, a devious smile tugging at his lips. "A game I plan on winning!" He said evilly making Al move as if he was rolling his eyes.

"So... did she ever ask about what happened? I know she saw your arm at least..."

Ed's playful aura deflated, a serious note coming to his face. "No. She asked to see it up close, but she refused to ask me about what happened." Al glanced over at Dmitri to see her now sitting a the desk, completely lost on the book she had found, her fingers playing with the end of her lose braid. "Well, that's not quite right. She know's what happened, she just..." Ed sighed, sitting forward and dragging his knees up to his chest, hugging them lightly. "She didn't _want_ to know the details. She didn't even ask who we tried to bring back."

"Really?" Al asked incredulously. Ed nodded, his eyes looking so solemn and lost that Al was a little concerned. "Why?"

""Don't ask, Don't tell"... that's her code. She told me she knew enough to understand what had happened..." Ed glanced at his right hand, the automail covered by his black jacket and his ever present white glove. He thought back to what she had said, about his automail being beautiful. Part of him wanted to tell Al about it, but another part argued not to. Like he should keep that memory for himself, almost like a keep-sake. But why?

"Dmitri sure is a mystery, huh brother?" Ed hummed in agreement. "Did she say anything else?"

"No, she just-" Ed paused, the image of Dmitri's scar flashing across his mind followed by the soft smile she had warn after he had repeated her own philosophy to her. Should he tell Al about that? No; if she had wanted everyone to know about it, then she wouldn't have kept it a secret. "She just left after kissing the palm of my hand. That's really what started this whole battle."

Al giggled making Ed blush like mad. "She kissed your automail? That must have tasted _horrible_!" Al said, clutching his sides as if he felt pain from trying to hide his laughter. Ed punched Al in the shoulder with his automail arm, causing Al to go crashing to the side though it didn't really phase armor boy. "T-that's so rich! It's perfect!"

Ed stood up and over Al, ready to start a brawl when the person of his plight came to his side. "What are you two doing over here?" She looked between the two of them, noting Ed's red face and Al's unstoppable laughter. "On second thought, I don't even wan't to know." Dmitri said with a shake of her head. She turned to Ed. "Give me your jacket; I'm gonna do laundry and that thing could probably stand on it's own with how often you wear it." Ed rolled his eyes but undid the snap and removed the jacket, handing it to Dmitri who smiled appreciatively. "Al, tonight before we go to bed I'd like to wash your cloth too; maybe I can get that stain from Nina out of it." She said making Al nod in agreement. She smiled back at him then picked herself up onto her toes and planted a light kiss to Ed's cheek. "Be good, and please try not to damage Al to much, ok? I'll be back in an hour with lunch." Ed's face was red hot now, his eyes wide and his stomach doing that weird back-flip thing.

"I-I-I...ok..." He said making her giggle as she waltzed out of the room.

Al started snickering all over again after Dmitri had left the room much to Ed's embarrassment. "Nice recovery brother; you're right, you have this game in the bag." Al said, his tone pure sarcasm. "Maybe you should stop being such a prude-"

"I'M NOT A PRUDE!"

"Prove it." Al said making Ed frown. "You shouldn't be scared to act that way towards someone. Flirting is a good thing, even if it doesn't mean anything. Who know's, you might even like it." Ed grumbled and went to walk away; he's had enough of this embarrassing talk-

"AHH!" He was suddenly tackled by a white fluff ball of doom, aka, Alexander. "YOU STUPID MUTT! GET OFF ME!"

"Woof!"

Nina came running in a few seconds later, jumping on to Al who was still on the floor. All was sure to catch her before she landed on him, keeping her from getting hurt. "Big brother! You and little big brother-" there was a shout of indignation from under Alexander," Should come play with me! Look what Big Sister got for me!" Nina crawled off of Al and reached into a small purse that hung off her shoulder. She had started carrying it after Dmitri had shown her that she could carry her toys inside it. From the small pink bags depths she pulls out a sketch pad and a pack of crayons. "See! Big Sister said that she wanted to hang some of my pictures up around the house, so she got me a new coloring book and crayons!"

"That's great Nina! Do you wan't me to help you draw a picture for her?" Al asked making Nina nod her head quickly. Ed had managed to wiggle his way out from under Alexander and was now patting the dog's head despite his annoyance. Nina handed Ed a red crayon much to his curiosity.

"Here you go Little Big Brother; let's all draw a picture for Big Sister! I bet it would make her really happy!" Nina said cutely, cutting off any objections Ed was going to make. How could he say no to those eyes! Damn this child and her cuteness!

"...Ok. What are we going to draw for her?" Nina laid down on the floor, opening her sketch pad to the first blank page. Ed and Al laid next to her, each propped up on their elbows.

"Hmmm... oh I know! We should draw her a picture of our family!" Nina said making Ed's eyes go wide and Al to take in a short breath. "I bet she would love to have a picture of all of us. She could take it with her when she goes away, so she'll always have us with her!" Nina said innocently making Ed smile softly. Nina turned to Ed making him lean back so he wasn't right in her face. "I'm going to draw _you_ Little Big Brother! And daddy! Why don't you draw Big Brother? And Big Brother, you can draw Alexander!" Al quickly agreed, looking at Ed over the top of Nina's head making him sigh.

"Ok, sound's like a good plan-oof!" Alexander chose that time to lay beside Ed, putting his massive head on Ed's back and using him as a pillow. "Damn it mutt, get _off_ of me!" Ed demanded though he didn't try to move Alexander. The dog just huffed and snuggled closer making Ed's brow twitch. "Fine. FINE! But just this once, ok?!" Alexander let out a happy bark.

* * *

Dmitri sighed as she wiped the sweat off her brow, having hung that last of the laundry out to dry. A breeze blew making her shiver a little; it was getting colder out by the day. It wouldn't be to long before she'd have to start drying the cloths in the house; damn it. She picked up the laundry basket and turned to walk into the house only to let out a little shrike of surprise when she came face to chest with Shou. "OH! Shhhiii- _shoot_ Shou, you scared the craaaa- _crackers_ out of me!" She said, catching her normal swearing just in time to avoid a scolding from her guardian.

"Please forgive me, I didn't realize you where so lost in thought or I would have announced myself." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I just wanted to check in on you. Nina told me that you weren't feeling to well a few days ago, and I, well..." Shou's cheeks turned a light shade of pink making Dmitri laugh a little as she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

"I'm fine now; I think I just spent to much time near the heat of the stove is all." She said making Shou sigh in relief.

"I'm glad to hear it. Where is Nina right now, if you don't mind me asking."

Dmitri raised a brow at him. "Of course I don't mind; she _is_ your daughter." Dmitri said making Shou blush once again. "I assume she is with the boy's in the study; something about wanting to draw with them." Dmitri said, chuckling a bit. "She really has grown attached to them in such a short amount of time. But I must admit it is nice having Al around; he keep's her busy through out the day, so the cleaning didn't take nearly as long as I thought it would."

Shou laughed and nodded his head. "Indeed, I've seen them playing often in the garden; it's reassuring knowing she is in such good hands." Dmitri nodded as she adjusted the pins holding Ed's jacket on the line. For such a small piece of clothing, it sure got heavy when it was wet. "And what of Edward? Has he made an progress in his studies?"

"He's been going non-stop since he came here." Dmitri said, her lips pulling into a small frown. "It's like pulling teeth to get him to take a break every once in a while. I swear, if it wasn't for me he'd have withered away to nothing by now." Her tone turned teasing near the end making Shou frown a little. Dmitri didn't notice though as she fingered the edge of Ed's jacket sleeve. "He can be such a child; I think the only thing he's truly excels at is making people worry over him."

They stood in silence for a little while, one that was relaxed for one side but strained on the other. "Do you care for him? Edward, that is."

Dmitri jumps in surprise at the sudden question, her eyes furrowing in confusion. "I- I don't know. If I do, it's as a friend. You know how I am... I don't think I could ever..." She trailed off then her left arm coming to wrap around her abdomen defensively. "And even if I could come to think of anyone like that, I'd most likely keep it to myself, particularly when it comes to these boys. They have enough to worry about, they don't need my fuuuuu- _messed_ up emotions to get in their way." Shou moved so quick that Dmitri hardly had time to register what was happening before she was pulled into his chest, the empty laundry basket falling from her hold as Shou suddenly embraced her. Her brain fired off all kinds of warning bell's to her; this wasn't like Shou at all, to suddenly embrace anyone. He had always been standoffish, hesitant to make contact with anyone, even his own daughter. "S-Shou...?"

His hold only tightened. "You don't have to hide yourself around me Dmitri. I won't run away scared, and I won't see you as a burden." Dmitri felt her eyes widen considerably. "All I want, is for you to be happy... for you to always be safe. You and Nina; you're all I have left in this world... I don't wan't to lose you... not like I lost Miranda..."

"S-Shou, w-what are you-?!" A small prick on the nap of her neck made Dmitri wince; did she just get bit by a bug? Damn pests... Dmitri suddenly felt very tired, like she hadn't slept in days. More warning bell's went off in her head, but she was so groggy she couldn't tell what they where saying anymore. She wanted to struggle, but her limbs felt like they weighed hundreds of pounds which only served to make her panic more, and the more she panicked the heavier her body became.

"I'm sorry... I'm going to make you better then you are now... you and Nina..." She heard Shou say. Or was it Shou? Was she dreaming all if this? Was this like the nightmare on the train- She felt her legs give way underneath her, but a sudden movement let her know that she was now being carried. To where she didn't know, and she couldn't bring herself to try and look around. Her head was starting to throb; it felt like someone was smashing her brain apart with a sledge hammer.

"S-Sh...?" She felt the subtle movements signalling that who ever was holding her was walking. The sudden warmth that over took her let her know that they had entered the house, and the hollow foot steps alerted her to them climbing the stairs.

"Dmitri?" Though it was muffled by her spinning head, she recognized Al's voice through the haze.

"Big sister! Daddy, what's wrong with her?" Dmitri felt the fog lift a little at the sound of Nina's worried voice, every instinct in her body telling her she needed to get to her. Why? Was she hurt? Did something happen?! Was something happening?!

"Nigha...?" Dmitri mumbled, trying to turn her head to look at Nina who was standing in the doorway of the study, Ed and Al standing behind her, a worried look plastered on Ed's face.

"What happened?" Ed demanded, his tone hard as stone.

"Dmitri isn't feeling to well it would seem." Tucker said, a tight lipped frown falling onto his lips. "I found her collapsed in the garden just a few minutes ago." Dmitri tried to furrow her brow, concentrating on what had occurred in the garden. Was that true? Had she been unconscious when she had been embraced by Shou? That made more sense then him hugging her out of the blue...

Al gasped in shock. "It's just like in the kitchen..."

Ed turned to Al in confusion. "The kitchen? Al, what are you talking about?"

"Yes, are you saying that this has happened before?" Tucker asked, his tone sounding a little harsher then normal displaying his displeasure about the situation.

"Ah, well..." Al said with hesitation. "Last week, Nina and I went into the kitchen while Dmitri was cooking dinner. She didn't know we where there, but I watched her stumble a bit and burn her hand on the stove when this sudden dizzy spell hit her. She knocked a bowl off the table and almost fell into the broken glass. If I hadn't come in at that exact moment, I'm sure she would have gotten badly injured." Al said, guilt heavy in his voice. Tucker stiffened, his shoulders going ridged with barely restrained annoyance. "I'm sorry. I know I should have said something, but Dmitri insisted that she was fine, and that the heat from the stove had made her dizzy."

A moment of silence passed between them before Tucker sighed, the tension releasing from his shoulders. "It's ok Alphonse; you had no way of knowing. Dmitri is so good at hiding her weaknesses, it's almost impossible to know when she is ill."

"So what do we do now?" Ed asked as Nina sniffled a little. Al placed a hand on top of her head, doing his best to comfort her.

"I've already given her some medicine. I think it's best if we let her rest now. Perhaps you boys could keep an eye on Nina for us while I tend to her?" Tucker asked. Ed and Al both nodded, the first taking Nina's hand in his own.

"You can count on us Mr. Tucker." Al said with Ed nodding in agreement.

* * *

Later that night Ed stood beside Al as he tucked Nina into bed. "Don't worry Nina; I'm sure Demi will be ok. She just need's to rest for a little bit."

Nina nodded, though a few small tears where still in the corners of her eyes. "Are you really sure?" Nina asked making Al look to Ed for reassurance.

Ed nodded his head, a small smile coming to his face. "Yeah; Dmitri is to stubborn to let a little sickness keep her down for to long. She'll probably be complaining about being stuck in bed all day tomorrow."

Nina smiled a little clutching her blankets under her chin. "O-ok... it's just..." Nina sighed making Al pat her head worriedly.

"It's ok Nina; you can tell us about your worries."

Nina glanced to the side, looking at Alexander who was curled up beside her in bed. "I- just don't tell daddy, ok? He doesn't like it when I talk about this kind of stuff..."

Al crossed over his chest plate with his index finger. "Cross my heart, we won't tell you dad." Al said. Ed nodded in agreement, mimicking Al's actions. Nina smiled and sat up, fiddling with her fingers nervously.

"Ok... it's just, I was talking to my daddy and he told me that my mommy left us to go back with her family. He said that mommy was really sick, and that he couldn't take care of her; that's why she left. But..." Nina reached under her pillow and pulled out a picture she had drawn, the edges of it yellow from age. "But mommies never written me back... I'm worried about Big Sister because... I don't think my mommy left us to go see her family. I think she-" Nina paused, unable to finish her sentence. Al gasped in shock, looking up to Ed for guidance. Ed's jaw was clenched tightly, his eyes closed to try and calm his mind.

"It's ok Nina... Dmitri's not going to go away just because she doesn't feel well." Al said, trying to be reassuring despite his own heavy thoughts.

"T-that's not why I'm worried! Ever sense I was old enough to understand that my mommy wasn't coming back I- I started to wish that Big Sister was my real mommy." Ed's eyes snapped open at the confession. "My really mommy isn't here because she was sick and now... Big Sister is sick. She's sick because I wanted her to be my mommy!" Nina said, bursting into tears much to Ed and Al's discomfort. Al waved his hands around wildly, unsure of what to do. Ed was just as lost, unused to dealing with small children.

"H-hey now! Don't cry Nina!" Al said as he patted Nina's back. "Demi wouldn't want you to be sad, alright?" Nina nodded, rubbing her eyes cutely.

"Nina," Ed said as he sat on the edge of the bed. "You shouldn't blame yourself for something like this, ok? Dmitri isn't weak, she'll pull through. But until then, we have to be strong for her, ok?" Nina nodded again, a small hiccup escaping her lips. "So would you please, _please_ stop crying? If Dmitri find's out that we made you cry, she'll kill Al and I." Ed was joking of course, and it seemed to work as Nina let out a little giggle.

"D-do you still have the p-picture we drew?" Ed quirked a brow as Al reached into his chest plate (being careful not to let Nina see inside of course) and pulled out the finished work of art that the three of them had drawn just a few hours ago. On the page where crude drawings of Ed (who was trying to chase after Alexander) Al (who was holding Nina on his shoulder) Tucker (who was standing a little to the left of everyone) and Dmitri herself (who was holding Nina's hand and the back of Ed's jacket to keep him from running after Alexander). It was horrible, and crude, and most people wouldn't have even given it a second glance. But Nina's face lit up with joy as she looked upon it, tracing each of their outlines individually.

"Maybe we should frame it and put it next to Demi's bed?" Al suggested. "That way she can see it when she wakes up. I bet it would make her feel better." Nina nodded excitedly.

"I have the perfect frame!" Nina said, climbing over Ed's lap to get to the end of the bed. She opened a trunk that sat on the floor, rummaging through it before letting out a little 'a-ha' and coming back to Ed and Al's side. The frame looked a little old and worn. It was brass, and had the words 'The Greatest Gift Of All' carved along the top. In the frame was a photo of Tucker and an infant Nina who was being held by a woman that Ed guessed was her mother. She had long, light blond hair that was braided off to the side and big blue eyes that shinned with joy as she posed for the picture with her husband and new born daughter. Ed felt recognition pass through him as he studied her harder; she looked a lot like- "That's my mommy. Before she got sick that is..." Nina said as she pulled at the back of the frame, pulling the picture from the protection of the glass. "But I think... it's time to put this frame to better use. Do you think Big Sister will like it?" Ed gave Al a side glance as if to say 'did you see what I saw' to which Al answered with a small nod.

"I think she'll _love_ it Nina." Al said as he took the frame from her gently. "Now you should get to bed; Demi wouldn't be happy if she found out we kept you up past bed time."

"What about the picture?" Nina asked as Al tucked her back into bed. She let out a big yawn, her eyes growing heavy in a matter of seconds.

"Don't worry, Al and I will take care of it." Ed said, taking the frame from Al and slipping their piece of art into it. Nina smiled, her eyes starting to fall closed.

"Mkay... I love you Big Brothers..." She said groggily making Ed's shoulder's to stiff.

"We love you too Nina..." Al answer for them as he stood from his kneeling position next to the bed. Nina was out like a light seconds later, rolling over onto her side and snuggling deeper into her blankets. Ed and Al stayed there for a long time, watching her sleep peacefully.

"Brother...?" Al said, making Ed glance over at him.

"She'll be ok, Al." Ed said as he stood and walked towards the door. "She has to be." Al sighed as Ed disappeared through the door before following after him, trying hard not to make any noise that could wake up Nina.

"Do you think it's a coincidence?" Ed glanced at Al as they walked down the hall towards Dmitri's room. "I mean, you saw the picture... you must have noticed."

"Yeah." Ed said speculatively. He shook his head. "It has to be; it's not abnormal for people around here to have blond hair and blue eyes. And Dmitri probably just over worked herself. Despite what she may think, she's not invincible." Al sighed, his hands clasped in front of him. Ed quirked a brow at him. "Something else is bothering you, isn't it."

Al jumped, and if he had had a flesh face he would have blushed at being caught worrying. "It's just... I'm thinking about what happened to mom. She was sick for a long time too-"

"Don't, Al." Ed suddenly snapped, his fist's clenching at his side. "This is nothing like what happened to mom, ok?" Al flinched a little making Ed sigh. "...I'm sorry. Just- don't think like that, ok? Dmitri's going to be fine. Tucker won't let anything like that happen to her, especially since he has the means to get her any treatment she may need."

Ed and Al, having made it to Dmitri's room, pushed the door open only to come to a dead stop when the saw Tucker leaning over Dmitri's unconscious form, his fingers pressed gently against the side of her throat. A frown pulled at his lips as he pulled back, noting something on a clipboard. "Interesting..." he mumbled to himself before pulling a vial out of his pocket along with a syringe, filling the needle canister with some strange looking green liquid and moving to prick Dmitri's arm with it.

Ed wasn't sure what had come over him, but every fiber in his body told him to stop what was happening, and being an impulsive individual, he listened to his gut instincts. "Hey! What the hell are you doing?!" Tucker jumped, standing straight up and wiping around to see Ed and Al standing behind him, Ed's face screwed up into a look of plain furry. Al grabbed hold of Ed's shoulder. Tucker's face paled a little, only adding to Ed's ere.

"Brother, don't-"

"What the hell is that stuff? It's only been five hours since Dmitri passed out, and I don't remember seeing any doctor coming in for a visit, so it can't be medicine." Al gasped; what Ed had said was true. Tucker hadn't called for a doctor that they knew of, and they would have seen one come in as the only way to Dmitri's room was to pass Nina's, which is where they had been for the rest of the day.

"Edward, Alphonse... I wasn't expecting the two of you to stop by for a visit this late at night." Tucker said, a little color coming back to his face.

"I bet you weren't. I'll ask you again- what is that stuff you're trying to give to Dmitri? And you better tell me the truth..." Ed ground out making Tucker stiffen up.

"It's a simple fever reducer; she started to run a high fever about an hour ago, and since it hasn't retreaded on it's own, I am going to give her something to help." Tucker explained, tossing the vial of strange liquid towards Ed who caught it easily and read the label. Damn; it really was a fever reducer. Then why was his brain still telling him there was danger around. He glanced around the room, before striding over to the windows and peeking out them, expecting to see someone staring back at him. Nothing; he didn't see a damn thing. He reached up and locked them just to be sure.

"Brother...?" Al asked hesitantly from the door way. He turned to see both Al and Tucker staring at him, the former giving him what he took as a concerned stare.

"Is everything alright Edward? You seem troubled..." Tucker said as he returned to his task, inserting the syringe into Dmitri's skin and injecting the medicine. Dmitri's face scrunched up in mild discomfort, a small whimper escaping her lips that made Ed's warning bell's go off again before she relaxed into her pillows, all tension draining from her face as she fell into a fitful sleep. Ed sighed, shaking his head as Tucker capped the needle and returned it to his pocket.

"It's nothing... I guess I'm just tired." Ed said as he eyed the vial that was still in his hand. He didn't understand what just happened; of course Tucker wasn't trying to hurt Dmitri. He loved her like his own daughter for god's sake. He walked over and handed the vial back to Tucker who gave him a wiry smile. "I'm sorry." Tucker chuckled and placed a reassuring hand on Ed's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze.

"It's ok; we've all had a trying day. She should rest a little easier now that the medicine is helping her battle the fever." Tucker said before heading towards the door. "You should get some sleep, Edward. I'd save any further research for tomorrow. Good night, boys." Tucker said as he exited the room, leaving behind a still ruffled Ed and a skeptical Al.

Ed sighed after a moment and walked over to Dmitri's bedside, placing the frame that was still clutched in his right hand on the stand so that the drawn picture was facing her. Al came into the room, looking at Dmitri over Ed's head.

"She look's so... small." Al said making Ed sigh. Al was right; sure, Dmitri was small anyways, but right now. She looked so tiny, and fragile. Like one wrong move would break her. Her skin, which had always been pale, seemed nearly transparent with the lack of color that was in her cheeks. A light sweat clung to her forehead, making her hair damp and sticky. Ed removed the glove from his automail hand and placed it gently against her forehead. Dmitri sighed a little in her sleep, making his brow furrow a little in worry. He pulled his right hand away and removed the glove from his left hand, checking her forehead with it. She was still warm, the fever fighting back against the medication with a vengeance. "Brother..."

"She still has a fever... it'll probably take a while for the medication to take effect." Ed said, trying hard to convince not only Al but himself that everything was going to be ok. Ed reached over and under her head, pulling it up a little to pull her long hair off her neck, hoping that it would allow her to cool down a little faster. As he moved her head back his fingers danced over something strange on the back of her neck. Lifting her head again, he inspected the back of her neck, finding a strange red mark just at the nap of her neck. It looked strangely like- Ed shook his head, trying hard to ignore the buzzing in his head. It was nothing to worry about; probably just some kind of fly bite. They were still out right?...

He didn't understand why he was suddenly to alert. His nerves must be shot from the events of the day. Tucker was right, he just needed some sleep. He placed Dmitri back against the pillows, brushing her bangs out of her face before he could catch himself. A small blush came to his cheek's as he stood abruptly, making his way to the door, passing Al by. "Come one Al, we should let her rest. We'll come check in on her in the morning."

Al hmmed in agreement, exiting the room and making his way with Ed down the hall. "That was awfully sweet of you brother... maybe you could use that in your 'battle'..." Al said teasingly making Ed's shoulders go ridged, his face turning many shades of red.

"I don't have to take this from you! _I'm_ the older brother!"


	7. Paying A Visit

It's been a week since Dmitri had collapsed in the garden, and a horrible pattern had started to take form right away indicating a far worse problem then Ed and Al had feared. Dmitri would wake up every morning, feeling and looking a little more sick, and little more pale and tired as hell. It was like she wasn't sleeping at all when in fact she was getting more sleep now then she ever had before in her life. By 2pm, she would fall asleep somewhere in the house. At the kitchen table, in the garden (which worried everyone due to the decrees in the temperature out side), in the study- where ever she happened to be. There was one time Ed found her sleeping on the stairs leading to the bed rooms.

She would always wake up around four in the afternoon, and would do her best to try and stay awake in order to help Ed cook dinner, seeing as they had stopped letting her do many of the tasks she normally did. But even during this time, all she could really do was polish the silverware and try not to dose off as she instructed Ed on how to prepare that nights meal. Around 730, she would normally fall asleep and need to be carried to bed (which was normally performed by Tucker), given a dose of medicine to help her with the fever that would crop up, and then sleep through the morning until around 10am.

Today though, Ed was happy to notice, Dmitri seemed more like her usual self. She seemed more awake, and had a little color back in her cheeks; maybe they had finally beaten this thing. Ed watched her from his spot on the floor in the study as she drew pictures with Nina, a small smile on her face. She was still wearing her bed cloths, not having the energy to change but, he didn't care. Her night cloths where simple enough, an over-sized t-shirt and a pair of her normal black shorts. Ed frowned; he wished she would put on longer pant's; what if she got to cold? Her hair was clean today too thanks to Nina, who had helped her bathe since the boy's weren't able to and Dmitri didn't seem to keen on having Tucker assist her. Not that Ed would have allowed it anyways; it had been weird when Tucker had offered, but Nina was quick to the rescue. She hadn't braided it today, and instead allowed it to flow freely down her back.

She glanced up then, her luminescent indigo eyes locking with his golden ones for a second before she smiled gently and turned back to Nina. Ed felt his stomach do that weird flip again, but didn't dwell on it to much. He had more important things to worry about then that. "Edward~~" Dmitri said in a sing song voice breaking Ed from his thoughts.

"What?"

"Stop starring at me; I know you're madly in love, but it's kind of creepy."

Ed snorted, his cheek's only turning a couple shades darker then normal. "So modest; how could someone _not_ love you." Ed said, sarcasm dripping off every word. Dmitri laughed sarcastically, flipping him the bird over the top of Nina's head so she wouldn't see. "That hurts my feelings."

"Good, it was meant to." They fell into a comfortable silence after that with Ed diving back into his reading and Dmitri talking quietly with Nina about the picture they where drawing. Al glanced between the two of them, letting out an exasperated sigh before also returning to the book in his hand. A half hour passes by quickly before Dmitri stands up and stretches, letting out a small yawn as she headed for the door.

"And where do you think you're going?" Ed asked with out even looking up from his book.

"I'm going to go grab the laundry off the line and maybe fold it." Ed glanced at her with a furrowed brow and a small frown. She sighed, walking over to him and kneeling down at his side. "I promise to sit if I get dizzy, ok? I'm just tired of not doing anything..." Ed scrutinized her face; she still looked tired, but there was still some color in her cheeks. Maybe just this once... Ed huffed, rubbing the back of his neck as he turned away from her pleading eyes.

"Fine, but one sign of you fainting again and I'll chain you to the bed." He said with a serious tone.

Dmitri snickered and leaned in, whispering in his ear. "Promise? It's not nice to tease me like that..."

Ed felt his face grow hot, before he cleared his throat, turning to look her dead in the eyes. He couldn't believe he was about to do this. "I'm not cruel enough to tease." Ed says, his voice staying surprisingly firm despite his rattling nerves. He had been thinking over what Al had said, and he had been right; the only way to win was to stoop to her level. "In fact, if anything you should be worried. You know how persistent I can be when I believe I am right." Shock. That's what registered on Dmitri's face, pure and simple. The shock gave way to a heavy blush and pursed lips. Ed snickered in victory, and decided to take it one step further by brushing her lose bangs out of her face. "Now, go do the laundry before I change my mind and force you to bed instead." Her face got, if possible, even redder as she quickly shuffled out of the room. Not expecting that reaction, Ed furrowed his brow in confusion before what he said last went back over his mind making him go stiff before busting out in full on laughter. He hand't even meant for it to come out like that, but it had been just enough to make Dmitri scurry out of the room from embarrassment.

"Brother..." Al said in a mock scolding tone. "You're supposed to embarrass her, not give her a heart attack." Ed was starting to wind down from his winning high. "Besides, she run's warm enough already..."

Ed waved Al's worry off. "She'll be ok; she's just in shock cause she didn't know I had it in me to be smooooth." Ed said cockily.

Al moved as if rolling his eyes. "Oh brother..."

* * *

Dmitri fought the blush from her face as best she could as she pulled the laundry from the line and threw it into the basket. She didn't know why she was so effected by Ed's antics; maybe it was because he sounded so _serious_ about it. Sure, they where playing this game (though they hadn't really played much since she gotten sick), but why was it the first time Ed makes a _real_ try at it, he had to be damn _good_ at it! Did he even know what he was doing?! No, obviously not, he has no idea _what_ seduction is, let alone how to go about doing it. Stupid boy, getting her flustered like that. He's probably laughing his ass off right now-

"Hello." A large hand fell on Dmitri's shoulder making her scream and jump in the air like a baby, having not been expecting anyone to be in the garden with her.

"Dmitri! Wha-? The hell are you doing here you bastard?" Ed appeared out of no where, gaping in frustration and confusion at Mustang who was standing with his hand on Dmitri's shoulder who looked startled to see Mustang was behind her.

"Wha-what? Ed! Did you just jump out a second story window?!" She shouted for loss of anything else to say.

Ed huffed, throwing his hands up in the air. "I thought you where in trouble! The hell are you screaming like that for anyways?!" Another voice cut in before Dmitri could retaliate to his shouting.

"We're sorry to stop by unannounced," Hawkeye said as she came out from behind Mustang. "The Colonel startled Dmitri upon arrival resulting in her screaming." Mustang sighed, removing his hand from Dmitri's shoulder. By now everyone, including Tucker, was standing outside. Nina ran to Dmitri, hugging her leg.

"Big Sister! Are you ok?" Dmitri sighed, giving Mustang a sever death glare.

"I'm fine; I was just startled by the appearance of a strange face was all." Mustang looked highly offended at Dmitri calling his face 'strange', witch made Ed snicker in sick amusement. "Now that we have been re-united, perhaps you could inform us of the reason behind your visit."

Mustang cleared his throat, fixing his face back into a look of indifference. "We are here for a follow up visit, to check on Ed's progress in his research." He said making Ed rub the back of his neck.

Dmitri smiled. "That's sweet of you to check in on Ed; he's been quite the handful." Ed gaped at her making her stick her tongue out at him. "You guy's should stay for dinner tonight; we could catch up a little." She was speaking more towards Hawkeye by the end of her sentence, much to Mustangs annoyance. Mustang and Ed both wen't to argue that it wasn't necessary, but Hawkeye beat them to the punch.

"We will take you up on that offer. Some time away from the office would be beneficial." She said making Mustang gap at her. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye making him go stiff and clear his throat.

"My lieutenant is correct. We would be honored to join you for dinner." He said with a forced tone.

Ed slumped over. "Glad to have you..." He said in defeat. He stood up straight, giving Dmitri a determined stare. "Don't you think you should go lay down then?" Dmitri pouted; she didn't wan't to lay down! She wanted the stay up and chat with Riza! "Don't give me that look!" Mustang glanced between the two of them, a curious gleam coming to his eye that he quickly hid with his mask of indifference.

"You should listen to him Lead; you look a little worse for wear." Mustang said making Dmitri scoff and cross her arms in defiance.

"What ever. If I sleep now, then I might be able to stay up a bit later, yeah?" She said giving Ed a meaningful stare. He crossed his arm's in thought, trying his hardest not to look at her directly.

"... I guess. But you better get up there now or I'll have to change my mind and boot this bastard to the curb." Dmitri did a little woop before taking Nina's hand and running past Ed, making sure to plant a small kiss to his cheek in full view of Mustang and Hawkeye (who both looked like deer caught in head lights), before dashing into the house leaving a very embarrassed and flustered Ed to the wolves. "H-hey! Don't run around like that!" He shouted as he spun on his heel and shook his fist in a threatening way.

"Fullmetal." Mustang said making Ed stiffen up and look at him over his shoulder, much like a child being caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I'm looking forward to a _full_ report from you. Shall we move this to the living room?"

* * *

Ed sips from his cup, his brows furrowed in annoyance. "I see..." Mustang said from across the coffee table, his arms crossed over his chest and a teasing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he tries to contain himself. "So Lead has fallen ill. Perhaps she caught this _little_ bug from someone else..." Ed nearly spit his tea out in his outrage while Al chuckled sheepishly.

"Who you calling a-"

"Well at least that explains why she looks so down. I thought she was just getting sick of having you around all the time Ed." Mustang said, cutting off Eds rant much to Ed's further annoyance. "How long has she been this way?"

Ed huff's, slouching back in his seat. "What's it to you? We have the situation under control." He said making Al sigh in exasperation.

"Brother..."

"What?" Ed wined back.

"Maybe the Colonel will know what's wrong with Demi and possibly be able to help..." Al said while rubbing the back of his helmet nervously.

Ed scoffs and eyes Mustang begrudgingly. "Fine... she's been sick like this for almost a week. That's how long Tucker and I have known about it anyways..." Ed gave Al an accusing glare that made Al huff and cross his arms hotly.

"Demi's excuse made sense at the time! And it's not like I could check her for a fever!"

Mustang sighed and rubbing his left temple. "And what of your research? Have you come across any leads yet? You've been at this for nearly a month." Ed blanches, poking his fingers together and glancing off to the side.

"W-well... not exactly..." He mumbles out earning a hum of interest from Mustang. "A lot of the research we've come across wasn't completed, so I'm having to compile my own notes and theories based on what I've read."

"Yes, I'm sorry about that," Tucker said as he came back into the room. He had taken Nina up for a nap shortly after everyone had settled into the living room, and had just returned carrying a new pot of tea. "Most of the time my experiments have failed, so I would scrap them and start all over again. Once a falling out occurs during a chimera transmutation, there isn't a whole lot left to work with you see. Just a few spare parts." Ed grimaced; judging by Tuckers notes he had come up with the idea that this line of work was messy, but the way Tucker spoke so casually about animals exploding from the inside out made Ed feel a little sick. Al made an unsure sound, sharing a look with his brother that only they could decipher as 'freaky'.

"It's alright Mr. Tucker; your research is the best lead Ed and I have found!" Al say's while waving his hands reassuringly.

"Al's right; it's not to difficult to pick up on what you where aiming for," Ed said with a big smile making Tucker chuckle and nod.

"You boy's really give me to much credit," he said modestly as he sets the tea pot down. "Thank you all the same."

* * *

 _"...Who are you?" A nine year old girl with white blond hair and dull indigo eyes stood staring into the white void that surrounded her. She didn't know who she was supposed to be talking to... only that they where there._

 _"I'm so glad you asked..." THEY said, their voices clashing together in perfect dysfunction sending a shiver down the little girls spine. "I am everything... I am god... I am Truth... and I am you..."_

 _The little girl looks down at her hands blankly. "You are...me? But... if you are me, then... who am I?"_

 _"You are the requirement. The necessary. The creator..."_

 _The little girl's brow furrowed, her lips tugging into a frown. "The requirement... are you going to eat me?" Something moved in her peripheral vision making her head snap in that direction. She could hardly make out the slightly darker outline of what looked like a human, the only thing visible on their body being the slight shadowing of their smile._

 _"No. I need you to go back... to fulfill your duty. You're payment will be collected at a later time." The strange white out man gave a sinister smile making the little girl shiver in fear. A massive stone gate appeared behind the strange man making the little girl take a step back. It snapped open, revealing a wide staring eye. "I look forward to seeing your work... creator..."_

 _The little girl watched in horror as ribbons of black arms and hands came spiraling out of the eye. She screamed in terror as they latched onto her-_

Dmitri jerked awake, her body jolting into an upright position as a small scream escaped her lips. Her body shook with fear, a cold sweat covering her from head to toe despite her having kicked her blankets off the bed. She gasped for air, her eyes darting around the room expecting the black arms to coming racing towards her again, dragging her back to that white void.

A sigh escaped her lips when she realized that it had all been a dream. A horrible, vivid dream... a memory she thought she had locked away a long time ago. Dmitri fell back on her pillows, laying her right arm across her eyes and taking a long, soothing breath. It's been a long time since she's dreamed about that night...

"Big sister?" Dmitri peeks out from under her arm to see Nina standing beside her bed, a worried frown on her lips. "Are you ok? I heard you shout..." Dmitri sighed and sat up, pulling Nina onto the bed and into her lap, hugging her tightly.

"I'm ok princess... just had a bad dream." Dmitri said, trying hard to reassure Nina and herself. Nina snuggles into her arms, content with Dmitri's comforting presence.

"Daddy always makes me pancakes when I have a bad dream." She said making Dmitri chuckle.

"I remember; he says that they are the happiest of food." Dmitri said with a smile; she wasn't sure where Shou had gotten the idea that pancakes make everything better, but she wasn't about to question something that seemed effective in cheering Nina up.

"I know!" Nina cried out as she pulled away from Dmitri a little, flashing her a bright smile. "We should have pancakes for dinner!" Dmitri giggled, brushing her fingers through Nina's bangs.

"Breakfast for dinner, huh? I don't see why not..." Dmitri glanced at her bedside table, seeing that is was almost 5:30. "Hmmm... I guess it wouldn't hurt to have dinner a little earlier tonight. I'm actually kind of hungry anyways." Nina clapped her hands and laughed.

"Yay! Breakfast for dinner!" Dmitri laughed with her as she stood from the bed, setting Nina down on the floor.

"Come on; we should surprise the boy's with our breakfast." Dmitri said making Nina nod her head earnestly.

* * *

"Ok... so we have all the stuff we need to make pancakes... except the skillet." Dmitri said as she looked around the kitchen. All the pots and pans normally hung on the far wall, but there was one spot that was empty. A spot that seemed to be mocking her. "So of course it's gone missing- there it is!" Dmitri glares up at the top of the very tall ice box where the large skillet lay, one of its handles peeking at her over the edge. "Now why the heck is it up there?"

Nina pointed up at it, a frown tugging at her lips. "How are we going to get it down?"

Dmitri patted the top of her head, a reassuring smile on her face. "Leave that to me princess."

* * *

Al sighed in exasperation as Ed and Mustang glared heatedly at each other from across the room. Hawkeye sat i silence, her arms crossed over her chest and a frown tugging at her lips as Roy and Ed spat petty insults back and forth.

"Midget!"

"Narcissist!"

"Prude!"

"WHAT?! You're still on that?!" Mustang smirks triumphantly making Ed growl and practically spit flames. "It's called being a gentleman, something you probably know nothing about you damn pervert!"

"You're calling _me_ a pervert, but I'm not the one getting all friendly with my partner now am I?" Ed gaped, his face going a brilliant shade of red. Al snickered, his shoulder shaking as he tried horribly to hide his mirth.

"F-FOR YOUR INFORMATION IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Ed shouted, nearly flipping the coffee table as he stood suddenly to his feet, his arms waving around frantically. "It's a dare, a stupid game, ok?!"

Mustang shrugs his shoulders, an innocent smile on his face. "A game that you are obviously losing. I can tell you right now, if Dmitri had offered such a challenge to _me_ I would have beaten her at her own game by now." Ed threw a book at Mustangs head, getting mild satisfaction when the pampas ass was struck square in the face.

"YOU DAMN PERVERT! YOU'RE TWICE HER AGE!" Ed was held back by the back of his jacket, thanks to Al, as he tried to throw another object at his commanding officer. "She's not even legal!"

"Indeed. Dmitri is what we men like to call jail bait." The sound of a cocking gun from his right made Mustang clear his throat. "And it is horrible that other men, who are not me, see her as such. They should all suffer horrible deaths..." Satisfied with his withdrawal, Hawkeye removed her gun from his temple.

Ed huffed and fell back into the couch, his blood still boiling a little. Damn perverted bastard...

"Speaking of Dmitri, she should be getting up any time now." Tucker said making Ed look curiously at the clock; almost 5:45.

"Yeah... maybe we should get started on dinner. I don't think she'll be up for it tonight." Ed said as he stood from the couch, taking off his red jacket and tossing it across the back of the couch. Al nodded. "You guys ok with waiting here for a second? It wont take long to get it in order.

"You're ordering out aren't you." Mustang said tauntingly.

Ed grumbled and rubbed the back of his neck irritably. "Well, I never really had a reason to learn how to cook, and Tuckers so busy with his lab..."

Hawkeye gave Mustang a stern stare making the Colonel break out in a cold sweat. "We don't mind Ed; we know it's been a stressful week for you boy's." She said. Mustang sighed and nodded in agreement making Ed's shoulders relax.

"Well, I'll be right back..." He said over his shoulder as he turned to leave the room. Tucker stood up, making Ed glance at him.

"I'll come with you Edward; I need to grab something from the kitchen for my lab anyways." Ed nodded, leading the way out of the room.

Tucker and Ed had made it half way down the hall when Tucker suddenly came to a stop making Ed pause in his own trek to look over his shoulder. "You alright? Don't tell me you're getting sick now too." Ed said with a little laugh.

"I just wanted to apologize." Ed quirked a brow at him curiously. "I know this last week has been difficult, and the time I spend in the lab has made it rough on you and your brother. But you should know how appreciative I am of you watching over Nina and Dmitri while I work on my assessment projects..."

Ed rubed the back of his neck with uncertainty. "It's no problem. I mean, I know how stressful those assessment's can be and all, and I know Al really likes to play with Nina..." Ed sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "And honestly it's not much to ask considering we're kind of freeloading off of you while we do our research."

Tucker chuckled and begin walking again, falling into step with Ed as they turned down yet another hallway, making their way closer to the kitchen. "It's no trouble to me to have you boys around. If anything, the timing of your inquiries was perfect. I don't know what I would have done if Dmitri had fallen ill like this with out you and Alphonse around." Ed hmmed in agreement.

"So what are you working on for your assessment? I'm sure it's bound to be earth shattering."

Tucker frowned a bit, his eyes falling down cast at the thought of his past experiments. "I'm attempting to perfect my research from Subject 45."

Ed smiled excitedly. "So another talking Chimera huh? How could it get any better then that though?"

Tucker pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his shoulders going stiff and his face paling a little. "The subject matter that I used to create it... I believe they where to old. The creatures I used where fully mature adults, stubbornly set in their ways. As such, despite how tremendous of a success it was, the creature knew that it wasn't as it should be and decided to end it's own life." Tucker smiled a little. "This time around I am trying to use younger subjects, but it is proving difficult to find the proper combination due to the hormonal imbalances that come with adolescent's."

Ed scratched his cheek in thought, partially understanding Tuckers theory. But how was a chimera that had retained it's own identity able to speak? It didn't ad up in Ed's mind, but at the same time, he had only just begun to scratch the surface of bio-transmutation. Who was he to question Tuckers theories- a loud crash from the kitchen stole him from his thoughts, making Tucker and himself stop in their tracks.

"...Is somebody here?" Ed asked suspiciously.

Tucker shook his head. "Just the Colonel and the Lieutenant..."

They stood there, waiting for any further noise to come from the kitchen. It didn't take them long to hear a distressed wail come from the darkening hall, making the hair stand up on the back of Ed's neck.

" _DADDY!"_

Ed and Tucker sped down the hall, making it to the kitchen in record time. Ed all but kicked the door down only to come to dead stop. Tucker pushed past him, making it to Nina's side who was shaking a collapsed Dmitri's shoulder hysterically. "D-daddy! She won't wake up! I-I'm s-s-s-sorry!" Nina said through her sobs. Tucker pulled her away quickly just as Mustang, Al and Hawkeye came up behind Ed, reacting to the crash. "W-why wont she w-wake up?!" Mustang pushed his way passed Ed who was shaking like a leaf, his eyes wide and un-moving from Dmitri's eerily still form.

"What the hell happened?" Mustang demanded as he turned Dmitri over onto her back, checking for a quick pulse. He glanced over his shoulder to see Ed standing there looking as if he had seen a ghost. "Fullmetal!" Mustang shouted making Ed snap back to attention with a gasp.

"B-brother..." Al's voice quivered in his distress. "Wha-"

"Ed and I where headed to the kitchen when we heard a loud crash. Nina called out; we thought she had gotten hurt while playing in here, but when we arrived we found Dmitri unconscious and Nina trying to wake her up." Tucker said as Nina buried her face into his shirt.

"I'm sorry! We wanted to m-make dinner f-for everyone!" Nina said.

Tucker pet the back of her head. "It's ok..." Tucker whispered to her.

Mustang grabbed Dmitri up from the floor before turning towards Hawkeye. "Lieutenant Hawkeye." Hawkeye and Mustang made eye contact, the first nodding in understanding before leaving the room. "Hawkeye is contacting a doctor as we speak. Fullmetal," Mustang addressed Ed who had regained a little color back to his cheeks. "Go around and gather as many coverings as you can. She's cold as ice." Ed nodded numbly. "... take Al with you." Al nodded.

"Y-yes sir..." Al grabbed Ed's shoulder, pulling his older brother from the room and towards the stairs to raid the bed room's for blankets. Mustang left the kitchen with Tucker, who was still holding Nina, following behind him.

"Do you think a doctor is necessary? Dmitri has been feeling faint for the last week; she may have just pushed herself to hard this time around." Tucker said with uncertainty. Mustang glanced at him from the corner of his eye, his gaze flickering between Tucker and little Nina.

"I didn't wan't to say anything while the boy's where there; they seemed shaken up enough." Mustang said making Tucker's brow furrow with confusion. "Dmitri's pulse is nearly nonexistent, and she is barely breathing. She's cold to the touch, a drastic difference to the fever they reported her to have." Tucker's face seemed to pale drastically. "Something tell's me this is more then just a bad cold."

* * *

Ed pulled the sheet's and blanket from his own bed, folding them up haphazardly before handing them to Al and moving on to the next room, which happened to be Dmitri's. He pull's the blanket off first, folding it like his own and laying it on top of the pile before turning to grab the sheet. He paused, a strange red stain about the size of his thumb catching his eye. He fingered the stain curiously; she must have jerked while Tucker was giving her a dose of her fever medication...

"Brother..." Al said pulling Ed from his speculation.

"Yeah?" Ed asked as he pulled the sheet off and tossed it into the corner; he'd have to find another sheet that wasn't dirty. He walked over to the closet, pulling extra coverings off the upper shelves.

"... I'm scared." Ed paused in his movements, his hands left clutching a blanket above his head. "It's just like with mom-"

"Stop it, Al." Ed snapped out at him while pulling the blanket down. "This is _nothing_ like that. Dmitri's not going to die..." _...like mom did_. Ed didn't say it out loud; he didn't have to with Al.

"But she's so sick... what if we where to late in calling the doctor?" Al asked as Ed put the final blanket on top of the pile.

Ed tried his hardest to give Al a reassuring smile, but even he could tell it wasn't having its desired effect. "It'll be alright Al... we're not to late..." While his words where meant to reassure his brother. So, why did he feel like it wasn't just Al he was trying to convince.


	8. A Mothers Love

_... "How long as she been this way?" Ed glanced between the doctor and his patient._

 _"A week, give or take a couple days; she wen't from being perfectly healthy to this in the blink of an eye." Ed said rubbing the back of his neck. Everyone apart from Tucker stood in the living room around a large, puffy red couch. Dmitri lay upon it shivering heavily despite the six blankets that covered her from nearly head to toe. The doctor pulled the blankets back, examining her arm's and legs before checking her pulse and temperature._

 _"We thought she was just over working herself." Al spoke up from his spot behind the couch. "Demi takes on a lot of the house hold chores around here, and she almost always refuses help..."_

 _The doctor frown's and hum's in speculation as he eyes the thermometer. "Her temperature is much to low... she's hardly registering at 95 degrees." The doctor reaches into his bag and pull's out what look's to be a hot water bottle, placing it on Dmitri's torso before covering her back up and tucking i the blanket around her. "Her blood pressure is dangerously low as well, only 89/54." He turned to Mustang and fixed him with a hard look. "Why was a doctor not contacted sooner? This child is in a dangerous physical state!"_

 _Mustang sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "I only just learned that she was ill; had I known sooner, she would have been admitted to the hospital right away." The doctor huffed and made a few marks in a note book, documenting the blood vial's he had just taken. "So, what's your diagnosis?"_

 _The doctor sighed, checking over his shoulder at the entry into the living room. "What I am about to tell you may be hard to understand; seeing as how Mr. Tucker has yet to return, I will leave it to you to tell him." Ed frowned a little in response. "It is my belief that this girl is suffering from a sever case of Anemia; her blood levels are severely depleted. This explains the fainting spells, the fevers, the fatigue and the hypothermia. It would also explain why her blood pressure is so low; her heart can't pump something that isn't there."_

 _"W-what? But, how's that possible?! She hasn't gotten hurt." Al said incredulously._

 _The doctor pull's the blankets back enough to pull Dmitri's arm out form under the blanket, showing it to Mustang and the others. "Do you see the marks?" Ed leaned down and brushed his fingers over a series of red pock marks the ran up and down the inside of Dmitri's arm. They varied in size and shape, and one of them even looked like it had been torn open at one point. "Needle pricks. You said that Mr. Tucker has been giving her medication via needle's to help fight off the fevers?"_

 _"Yes sir." Al said with uncertainty._

 _"Some of these pricks are to large for a mere medicinal needle prick," the doctor said as he pointed to a few of the larger blemishes. "I'm not going to place any blame on anyone in the house hold... but someone has been taking this girls blood. So much of it in fact, that it has lead to her current situation-_

"Fullmetal!" Ed jumped, pulled out of his flash back by the irritable Colonel Mustang. He sat in Mustang's office, occupying a chair directly in front of Mustang's desk. Mustang was staring at him impatiently over his folded hands. "Would you mind answering the question?"

"...What?" Mustang sighed, slumping back into his chair. Ed chuckled sheepishly.

"I don't get paid enough to deal with these brats..." Mustang mutters under his breath. "How much longer will you need to finish up your research with Tucker? I have to start giving you missions again soon, or else the higher ups are going to start knocking on our door." Ed shrugged, leaning back into his chair casually.

"Beats me; it shouldn't be to much longer. But if it's any trouble, I'd like for you to hold off for a little while longer on the missions..." Mustang quirked a brow at Ed in shock.

"You're asking me to _with hold_ possible leads from you? That's not like you at all Ed..."

Al, who was sitting in the chair beside Ed's, spoke up then. "Well, you see sir, we don't want to move around to much at the moment. With Demi still being sick and all..." Mustang's eyes pinned the two boy's with a knowing stare, one which Ed ignored.

"I see; I'll see what I can do. How is Lead anyways? I know it's only been two days but..."

Ed frowned and scoffed irritably. "She's feeling a lot better already; it's becoming nearly impossible to keep her in bed." Ed sighed dramatically, resting his chin on his fist. "It's almost easier to take care of Nina then it is to try and keep Dmitri out of trouble."

Mustang chuckled at Ed's expense. "Sound's like she should be back to her old self in no time." Al nodded. Mustang suddenly became serious again, his mouth pulling into a frown. "Has anything popped up concerning the doctor's diagnosis?" Ed shook his head.

"Al and I have been taking turns watching her, but nothing unusual has happened to suggest any foul play. So unless this person is invisible, the doctor's theory must be flawed. Something else had to have been the cause of her anemia." Ed said while placing his arms behind his head, a disgruntled look upon his face. "It just doesn't make sense to me; a person's blood doesn't just vanish into thin air."

Mustang hummed in agreement before reaching into the top drawer of his desk and removing a small calendar, flipping back to a few months prior. "Hmm, I thought this seemed strange..."

"Did you find something Colonel?" Al asked curiously. Mustang nodded, placing the calendar on the top of his desk.

"This is a calendar I keep tracking all of phone call's made to and from my office. It also states the reason for the call." Ed and Al stood from their seats to look at the calendar page, their eyes skimming it over. There where many names written over the page, most of them being Maes Hughs, but mingled between the others was Lead. Mustang pointed to a day near the beginning of the month. "This phone call from Lead was her telling me she would be out of active duty for a while; she said something about Nina being ill." Ed quirked a brow at him.

"And? Kid's get sick all the time."

"Yeah Colonel; what does Nina getting sick have to do with what's going on right now?" Mustang moved his finger to another date near the middle of the month.

"This is the day I called Lead with orders to meet the two of you in Youswell. It took a lot of convincing, as Nina's condition had only worsened. It wasn't until I agreed to order Nina's admittance to the hospital that she took the mission." Ed rubbed his chin in thought. Nina had been admitted to the hospital right before Dmitri had left for Youswell? Dmitri never said anything about it; probably because Nina seemed perfectly healthy now.

"I'm still not following..."

"Nina's condition was very similar to how Dmitri is now; fever, fatigue. She could hardly hold her own head up." Mustang sat back in his chair. "Tucker didn't seem to happy about Nina being admitted either; he said he didn't want her to be under any stress, and that the strange environment might be to much for her. That's why we had to _order_ Tucker to have her admitted. However, just a couple of days after being admitted Nina's condition began to improve; she was able to leave with Tucker after only five days of care."

Ed and Al mauled over the information; Nina had been sick only a few months ago and now all of a sudden Dmitri seemed to be suffering from the same ailment. But had Nina really been suffering from anemia? That was harder to believe then Dmitri having anemia; at least Dmitri was part of the military. Fighting was part of the job. But a four year old girl having anemia was to far-fetched.

"Brother, do you think it's a coincidence?" Al asked pulling Ed from his thoughts.

"I don't know Al."

* * *

Ed and Al walked up the front steps of Tuckers house, both lost in thought. A low rumble of thunder made Ed glance up at the darkening sky. "... Look's like rain today Al; we'll have to make sure Alexander doesn't get out."

"Yeah; maybe we should make some hot coco for Nina. That always cheered us up on rainy days." Ed nodded as they entered the house. They stopped in the entry way, the door falling closed behind them as the first drops of rain began to pelt the ground. "Hello! Nina? Mr. Tucker? We're back!" Al called. Ed braced himself to be tackled by Alexander and Nina. Nothing happened.

"Hmm. Must be taking a nap..." Ed said out loud making Al nod his head in agreement. Ed sighed, rubbing his right shoulder roughly as he headed for the stairs. Damn rain was making his shoulder stiff! "Or their playing hide and seek with Dmitri. For _her_ sake it better be the first option." He said irritably.

Al followed Ed up the stairs, glancing down the hall expecting to see Dmitri peeking into one of the rooms as she looked for Nina. But the hall was empty, though all the door's where thrown open. Ed quirked a brow in confusion before heading down the hall, checking into all the room's.

"What the hell... why are all these door's open?" He mumbled to himself as he shut each one. Al did the same on the other side of the hall. When he came to Dmitri's door he peeked inside; the bed was empty and made.

"Brother, Demi's not in bed..."

Ed sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Something felt off here; where was everyone? Even if they where playing a game, he should have heard something by now... "Let's go ask Tucker; he's probably in his lab..." Ed said. Al nodded in agreement, closing the door gently. It didn't take the boys long to find Tucker's lab; it was the only other room in the house that had double doors aside from the front entry way. The left door was hanging slightly open, allowing Ed to see Tucker kneeling down on the ground through the crack. "About time we found someone; Nina and Dmitri must be playing one hell of a game." Ed said casually as he opened the lab door.

Tucker looked up in surprise before an easy grin came to his face. "It's you guys; I thought I heard someone moving around in the house." Tucker motioned them forward. "Come on in; take a look at the finished product." Ed and Al gasped as they entered the room, their eyes falling on the reason for Tuckers kneeling form.

Sitting on the ground was a large, strange looking creature. It's body and paws where an off white while a long curtain of reddish brown hair fell over it's dog like face and all the way down its back, ending as a flowing tail. It's paws where huge and looked a little to long for it's stocky body. The eyes where a little intimidating, big and light in color giving it a ghostly appearance.

"This is a chimera that can learn language." Tucker said proudly, his hand resting easily on the creatures head. "I was just about to give a presentation to Dmitri over there." Ed and Al looked over and where surprised to see Dmitri sitting on her knee's on the other side of the room. She was still dressed in her bed cloths, a large over sized sweater and shorts, and her hair was still a mess as if she had just woken up. Her arms hung limply at her sides and her head was tilted down, shadowing her eyes from their view. "Watch this boys."

Tucker knelt down in front of the chimera again, pointing to Ed with a triumphant smile. "Ready?" He said to the chimera. "This person is Edward." The creature turned it's head to look at Ed, it's eyes seeming to see him for the first time since Al and him had entered the room.

"Ed-ward?" The voice the came from it sent a shiver down Ed and Al's backs; it sounded like a mesh of voices, and was eerily devoid of emotion. "Edward..."

Ed came forward, kneeling down to get a closer look at the chimera as it continued to repeat his name, much like a young child who had just learned a new word.

"I saved my neck; I don't have to worry about my research funding again for the time being." Tucker said with relief. Ed hardly heard him, the wheel's in his brain coming to a screeching halt as the chimera looked over it's shoulder at Dmitri who had yet to move.

"M-Mama..." Dmitri visibly flinched, her hands clenching into fists at her side before she slowly crawled over to the chimera's side allowing it to rest its head against her chest.

"It's ok..." Dmitri said, wrapping her arms around the Chimera's head. "Princess..." Ed's eyes widened, his mouth going dry as Dmitri glanced up at him with sorrowful eyes. "Ed..." She whispered to him. "Help her... please..." Ed's whole body shook as he placed an tentative left hand on the chimera's head. "Please Ed..." Ed sigh's, steeling his nerves.

"Mr. Tucker. When did you say you got your approval for your research?" Ed asked over his shoulder. Tucker put his hand to his chin in mock thought.

"Hmmmm... that was two years ago, I believe."

"And your wife; when did she leave?"

A tense pause followed the question, Tucker's eyes narrowing in mild contempt as he stared at the back of Ed's head. Al shifted his weight between his feet, sensing the shift in the rooms atmosphere. "Two years ago."

Ed's shoulders slumped a little, his hand moving from the chimera to the top of Dmitri's head as he stood up. "Just... one more question, ok." Ed said glancing slightly over his shoulder at Tucker who's shoulders had gone incredibly stiff. " _Where are Nina and Alexander?_ " Al let out a startled gasp as Tucker removed his glasses, cleaning them on the hem of his sweater casually before replacing them on his face.

"So, Dmitri couldn't keep our secret..." He said before pinning Ed with a blank stare. "Or are your instincts just that well tuned?" Ed moved faster then Al could track, grabbing Tucker by the front of his shirt and slamming him into the wall.

"BROTHER! Wha-"

"YOU BASTARD!" Tucker shook like a leaf, as he tried in vein to pull Ed's hand off him. "YOU SON OF A BITCH! Used your own _wife_ two years ago?! And _this_ time you used your own _daughter and dog to transmute a chimera!"_

Al sucked in a harsh breath, his eyes darting to the chimera who was watching the altercation between Tucker and Ed through Dmitri's arms. "That's... Nina? A-and Alexander too..."

Ed pulled Tucker away from the wall only to slam him against it with even more force then the first time. "You worthless-!"

"Why are you so mad? I-I told you I was using younger test subjects..." Tucker said mechanically. " My wife, she was to old. To set in her ways; I thought, a teenager perhaps-" Ed grit his teeth, his shoulders beginning to shake as he tried hard not to pulverize the man before him.

Al gasped, turning to Tucker in denial. "Y-your lying! You mean you tried to use-"

Tucker chuckled darkly, disgust clear in his voice. "Dmitri was to old too, and even if she wasn't, she was to damaged; to _broken_... the iron in her body was incompatible with the transmutation." He looked over at Dmitri who had taken to hiding her face in the top of Nina's head. "I was so disappointed; I had hopped to turn both of them-!?"

Ed pulled Tucker away from the wall before slamming him against it once again, knocking the wind out of the taller man. " _Don't fucking look at them!_ " He growled out. "So you admit it! You admit to using your youngest and attempting to turn a girl who looked up to you like a father?! You can only do so much with animal experimentation; it should be a piece of _cake_ if you use humans! _Right_?!"

Tucker gave Ed a sinister smile. "Haven't the advances of mankind come from the results of countless experiments on human beings? Medical science for example. As a scientist, you-"

" _SHUT UP!"_ Ed hissed, slamming Tucker into the wall again. "You think you're going to be forgiven for this?! For... _toying_ with human lives?! You nearly killed Dmitri and you turned Nina and Alexander into that... _thing_!" Tucker started to laugh hysterically.

"Human lives?! _HA HA! Yeah,_ human lives!" Tucker reached up and grabbed the front of Ed's coat, pulling him a little closer so they where face to face. "YOU FOOL! Take a look at your limbs and your little brother, Fullmetal Alchemist!" Ed snapped, slamming his right fist against Tucker's cheek. " _Aren't those the results of your so-called "Toying with human lives?" We're the same, you and I!"_

" **You're wrong**!" Ed shouted at him.

"NO, I'm not! You saw a possibility in front of you and you just had to try it!" Tucker said, earning another punch from Ed.

" _ **YOU'RE**_ _ **WRONG!**_ "

Tucker continued to laugh despite the punches Ed continued to throw at him. "HAHAHA! And even if you knew it was _banned_ , you couldn't stop yourself from trying-"

" _Shut up! You're wrong!_ " Another punch, this one distinctly harder then the others. "We alchemists..." Ed stopped suddenly, his grip on Tuckers shirt tightening. " _Stuff like this...!_ " Ed made a move to hit Tucker again, only to be stopped by Al's larger and stronger hand.

"Brother... if you hit him anymore then that, he'll die..." Al said as Ed shakily released Tucker, allowing the now bloody man to fall limply down the wall. Al pulled Ed away and over to where Dmitri and Nina where still sitting, Nina shaking like a leaf with small tears in the corners of her beastly eyes as she watched the carnage through Dmitri's protective embrace.

Tucker started to chuckle again, wiping his own blood off his chin. "It's not possible to get things done with out dirtying your hands..." Al's shoulders stiffened up, his emotionless eyes gaining a sharp edge as he looked at the disturbed man over his shoulder.

"Mr. Tucker. If you keep talking, this time _I'll_ shut you up." Despite Al's young voice, the threat was real enough to make Tucker pull into himself, unwilling to push the larger brother over the edge. Al knelt down then, taking Nina and Alexanders morphed face into his hands. "Nina..." Dmitri leaned heavily against Al's cold side, her right arm moving behind him to wrap around Ed's right leg. "I'm sorry. We can't restore you with what we know right now..."

"Mama...?" Nina said, moving her head to she could push her nose into Dmitri's chest. "Mama... hurts... Mama hurt..." Dmitri stiffened up a little before reaching up and running her fingers through Nina's long hair. Nina pushed herself into Dmitri's lap, leaning heavily against her with her head resting on Dmitri's shoulder. "Mama..." Dmitri crushes Nina to her with her left arm, her hold on Ed's leg becoming to tight he was sure to bruise.

"I'm sorry princess..." She whispered to Nina. Al placed a hand on Ninas head while Ed rested his right hand on Dmitri's. "I'm so _sorry_..."


	9. Past Truths

_"Mother!" 9 year old Ed ran through the yard towards the vegetable garden that grew in the back yard of his childhood home. His mother, a beautiful woman with long brown hair pulled to a lose side ponytail and big delightful blue/grey eyes, was kneeling in the garden, picking a basket of fresh vegetables for dinner that night. "Mother!"_

 _She stood then, the edge of her long pink dress dancing in the gentle breeze. A warm smile sat upon her lips when she turned to see him. "What's the matter Ed?"_

 _Ed giggled and held his hands up, showing the gift he had made for her. An iron pony sat in his palms, the edges perfect and smooth. "Here's a present!"_

 _His mother leaned down, looking at the creation with kind eyes. "Oh, for me? What is it?" She asked curiously._

 _Ed beamed proudly as she took the toy gently in her hand. "I transmuted it!" He said proudly._

 _His mothers eyes widened in surprise, though the gentle smile never faltered. "You did? That's daddy little boy! Thank you," his mother ruffled his hair affectionately earning a giggle from little Ed."You're really wonderful, Ed. To be able to make such a perfect object..." His mother removed her hand from his head slowly. "But... you couldn't make me right..."_

 _Ed's eyes widened in fear as the garden melted away, leaving nothing but a black void and his mothers bloody body laying before him. Her head moved, making her lifeless eyes stare blankly at him. "W-why... didn't you make mommy right...?!" A horrible scream erupted from her throat making Ed cry out. He turned on his heel's and started to run. He didn't know where he was going, but he had to get away. His path was suddenly blocked by a stone wall making his heart stop. He was trapped._

 _"Ed!" Ed turned around at the sound of Al's voice. "Ed! Help me brother!" Al's voice echoed through the blackness._

 _"Al?!" Ed looked around frantically. "Alphonse, where are you?!" A door suddenly appeared to his left. Ed made a mad dash for it, desperate to escape the dark shadows that where steadily growing to consume him. Ed wrenched the door open only to stop in his tracks, the scene before him knocking the wind out of him. In the center of the room, inside a large transmutation circle, stood Alexander and Nina. Nina was crying hysterically and calling for her mama, her trembling arms wrapped tightly around Alexanders neck. Alexander was barking and growling at Ed, the hackles on the back of the creatures neck standing on end. Behind them stood Dmitri, screaming Nina's name at the top of her lungs while banging her fists against a seemingly invisible wall._

 _"LEAVE HER ALONE!" As if suddenly seeing Ed on the other side of the circle Dmitri started screaming at him. "ED! PLEASE! PLEASE DON'T LET HIM DO THIS!_ **_PLEASE_** _!" A bright light suddenly enveloped the room, it's blinding force accompanied by Nina and Dmitri's horrified screams._

 _"NO! Nina!" Ed shouted as the light overpowered him. When it finally faded Ed fell to his knee's, clutching at his head harshly. In the center of the room the Nina and Alexander chimera laid in a puddle of it's own blood, their white fur stained a sinful shade of red . Dmitri was kneeling beside them, covered in their blood and wailing uncontrollably. Ed felt biol raise up in the back of his throat as he took a shaky step forward, reaching out towards the grisly scene before him. "Nina..."_

 _Dmitri turned to him then, her face contorted in distress and rage. "Why Ed? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE HER!" Ed backed up, falling to the ground and scrambling to get away from the horrific sight. "My princess... SHE'S GONE AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" Dmitri transmuted a hand gun, aiming it at his head despite her shaking arms. "I'LL KILL YOU!" She hesitated for a second, tears streaming down her face. "You... monster..." She turned the gun then, aiming it at her own temple with a distressed cry._

 _"D-Dmitri don-!" A loud bang echoed through the air as Dmitri pulled the trigger, the left side of her head blowing out seconds before she fall's the ground, her blood and brain matter mingling with the blood of Nina and Alexander. "N-no..." Ed reaches out towards the two bodies, his own body shaking uncontrollably. "N-no no no NONONONONONNOOOOOOOOOO-_

"- _OOOOOOOOOOOOO!_ " Ed bolted up in bed, a loud crack of lightning and thunder accompanying his scream of terror. He clutched the bed sheets beneath him, his breathing ragged and shallow and the distinct flavor of biol rising into the back of throat and threatening to escape him. The shaking of his body made it difficult for him to gain his bearings, and the cold sweat the covered his skin only made it worse as he was wracked with tremors from the cold. Ed's eyes darted around the room, the echoes of the gun shot still tearing through his head, accompanied by his mother and little brother's screams. His eyes fell on the bed across the room from his. A small indent was all that remained to show that at one time the bed had been occupied.

Shortly after discovering Nina and Alexanders conditions, Al had phoned Mustang and told him what was going on. They where escorted from the scene and taken to the Military dorms. Al insisted for the three of them to be kept in the same room together, to which the commanding officer reluctantly agreed after speaking with Mustang over the phone. It seemed though that Dmitri had disappeared in the middle if the night, making Ed's anxiety shot up a bit higher; after a nightmare like that he would have preferred to have found her dead in her bed rather then missing. It would have kept his brain from jumping to the worst case scenario...

Ed shivered and hugged his automail leg to his chest, placing his temple against the side of his cold knee in an attempt to ground himself. As his nerves began to settle, he could feel the dull ache of his stubs starting to creep in due to the storm. While annoying, he welcomed the pain as it helped to calm his raging head. "... It hurts..." The sound of the door opening a moment later made Ed catch his breath, a new kind of terror seizing him... _please don't let it be-_

"...brother?" Ed let out a relieved sigh, glad that it was only Al who was peeking into the room; he didn't know what he would have done if it had been Dmitri walking in. What would she think if- Ed didn't move from his position, allowing his heart rate to calm once again before he shifted on the bed, throwing his legs over the edge and leaning his elbows on his thighs. "Are you ok? I heard you shout..." Ed stared down at his right hand, watching the flashes of lightning dance across it's metallic palm... _beautiful_ _..._ his eyes flickered to the empty bed across from him, the echo of Dmitri's voice making him grit his teeth... _she's wrong... this thing-_

"I'm fine."Ed rubbed his left hand across his face, ridding himself of the nightmare for the time being. It was obvious he wouldn't be getting any more sleep that night...

* * *

The next hour found Ed standing outside Colonel Mustangs office doors, an uneasy frown pulling at his lips. Al stood beside him, his fingers fidgeting to show his own nervousness. Ed wasn't sure why he was there; did he even want to see the Colonel? Did he have it in him to ask about... With out another thought Ed spun on his heel, intent to escape from his commanding officer for the time being.

"Edward?" He paused mid step, glancing over his shoulder to see Lieutenant Hawkeye coming out of the Colonel's office. She glanced between Ed's solemn face and Al's nervous fidgeting, a gentle look falling over her eyes. "What's wrong? You're up early this morning."

Ed turned slightly towards her, rubbing the right side of his neck with anxious hand. "I- I was wondering... what's going to happen to Tucker and... and Nina?" Ed forced himself to say, fighting to keep his voice and body steady.

Hawkeye frowned, closing the office door and locking it before turning back to them. "In addition to having his license revoked, it was planned for Mr. Tucker to be put to trial at central, however..." Her eyes closed then, as if stealing herself for the information she was about to reveal. "The two of them died." Ed felt all the blood drain from his face. "Officially they were "killed." I'm telling you this because you would probably figure out what had happened eventually, even if I was to tell you some elaborate lie." Al gasped, his hands clenching into fists as Hawkeye turned to leave then, her face suddenly pulled into a blank look.

"W-what?! But- by _who_?!" Ed demanded as Al and him took off after Hawkeye.

With out looking at them she slipped on a black rain coat. "I don't know. I'm heading off to the crime scene now."

Ed reached out as if to grab her sleeve, but managed to stop himself short and instead fisted his hands at his sides. "Take me too!"

"No."

Al gasped and took a step forward, his hands raised in a pleading way. "W-what? But-"

"Why the hell not?!" Ed asked, his patients starting to wear thin with the Lieutenant.

Hawkeye stopped on a dime making Ed and Al nearly run into her back. She turned, giving Ed a very serious look that made him grimace. "It's better if you didn't see." She said making him and Al take in a sharp breath. "If anything, you should go find Lead." She reached into her inner uniform pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. "If what the Colonel told me is true, she's going to need your help more then we will." She handed the paper to Ed who took it with a confused face. "Let us handle this case Edward."

"What? What did he tell you?" Ed clutched the paper in his hand, a scowl coming to his face. "Why won't you just tell me what's going on?!"

Hawkeye sighed in seeming exasperation. "I think it's best that Lead be the one to tell you." She turned away then, leaving before either of the boy's could ask anymore questions. Ed cursed under his breath before he opened his clenched fist and looked at the now crumpled paper. What ever answers he may have been hoping for were suddenly replaced with even more questions, though he was somewhat more reluctant to learn the answers to-

"What is it brother?" Al asked drawing Ed from his troubling thoughts.

Ed shrugged and unfolded the paper, quirking a brow at the list of turns and hall numbers... "Instructions through the dorms? What the hell..." Ed scratched the back of his head in thought.

"Maybe it's like a treasure hunt? I bet if we follow these instructions we'll be able to find Dmitri." Al rubbed the back of his arm. "I saw her leave really late last night, but she never came back; I'm worried brother. What if she had another fainting spell?"

Ed sighed, reading the first of the instructions. 'Go left from the Colonel's office for fifty yards, then turn right'. "Damn Colonel... I'm not in the mood to play games today..." He said as he motioned for Al to follow him. "Let's hurry up and get this over with."

* * *

Al and Ed stared up at the sign hanging above their final destination. A heavy blush showed on both their faces despite Al not having flesh cheeks. "Uhhh... brother? Why are you waiting? G-go get her..."

Ed grabbed Al by the shoulders shaking him a little. "ARE YOU CRAZY?! I can't go in there!" Ed shouted dramatically. "I'll die for sure!"

"Well I can't either! What if I get wet?!" Al exclaimed back.

Ed groaned, leaning his head against the wall next to the large double door's leading into the women's community showers. "Maybe she'll come out on her own...?" He said desperately.

"Brother..." Al said in exasperation. "If this is where she's been this whole time, what makes you think she'll come out _now_?"

"Maybe she heard us? Come Al, _please_ don't make me go in there!" Ed practically begged. Al made an unsure sound.

"I don't know brother... the Lieutenant seemed worried about Demi." Al said making Ed bite his lip in uncertainty. "The Colonel called Hawkeye about something concerning Demi too- what if something terrible happened and she didn't come back because she didn't wan't to worry us with it?" Al's voice was starting to become shrill with worry.

Ed heaved a sigh, rubbing his right shoulder absentmindedly. "Alright, _fine;_ I'll go check it out." Ed said with a nervous gulp as he eyed the door's wearily. He _really_ didn't wan't to do this... but Al had a point. "Well, make sure to retrieve my body for me, ok?" Ed said, though he wasn't sure how much he could rely on statement remaining a joke. It was very possible the he was walking towards certain death...

"Brother..." Al sad in exasperation as Ed stepped into the locker room, his eyes snapping shut and his hand's flying over his face.

"I'MSORRYPLEASEDONTKILLMEITWASALLALSIDEAISWEAR-?!" Ed stopped ranting after not having his head ripped off in the first ten seconds. "Uh, D-Dmitri? Y-you in here?" After not receiving an answer Ed pulled his hands away and reluctantly opened his eyes, peeking around causiously. When he didn't see anyone Ed relaxed his stance, her arms falling limply to his side as he spun around and took in the whole room. A few benches, some lockers and a wall of sinks and mirrors met his eyes, but the placed looked as though it hadn't been used in a while. "Huh... hey Al! You can come in, I think it's empty!" Again, no answer. Ed quirked a brow, poking his head back out the door and looking every which way. "Al? WHAT THE HELL?! WHERE DID YOU GO?!" Al had taken the time that Ed was in the locker room to run off, leaving Ed to his doom. "Traitor..."

The sudden sound of running water made Ed's whole body go ridged. He turned his head to look at the one other door in the room; a small amount of steam rolled out through the open doorway, making Ed break into a nervous sweat. "Damn it... I thought it was empty in here?" Ed took a tentative step further into the room, stopping when he heard a strange, light crinkling sounds under his foot making him take a step back to glance at where he had just stepped. His eyes widened at the undeniable red splotch that stained the floor. He knelt down, taking off his left glove and pressing his fingers into the blood blotch. It was partially dry... Looking up he saw that a trail of blood drops lead into the shower room its self, where the sound of running water was the only thing permeating the air. Shouldn't he be hearing something else? Like the sounds of someone washing up?

Sudden dread filled him as he remembered what Al had said outside in the hall; Mustang had contacted Hawkeye concerning something that had happened to- "Damn it!" Forgoing his own embarrassment Ed stormed over to the shower room, stopped just inside the doorway and looked around in earnest. His eyes locked on a loan figure sitting against the back wall, their head hanging forward and a curtain of soaking wet hair covering their face from view. Ed didn't need to see their face to know that the person sitting beneath the scalding hot cascade of water was the very person he had been searching for. "Dmitri!" He rushed over to her, grabed hold of her bare shoulders and started shaking her gently. The fear in his heart started to double as she remained motionless; was she unconscious? Or worse-

Dmitri raised her head just enough to see who was holding onto her shoulders, her indigo eyes glassy and listless. "...Edward... this is the girls room..." Ed growled, taking off his red coat and wrapping it around her shoulders; she was cold as ice, her lips holding a bit of a blue tint to them despite the hot water that fell over the two of them. "...I'm practically naked..."

"Yeah, I noticed! You're also about to turn into a popsicle! What were you thinking?!" Ed scolded her as he looked around the shower room; she had to have cloths around here somewhere- Ed spied a pile of clothing just three feet away from him. Determining that they had to be her's, Ed reaches for Dmitri's cloths only to pull back when a dark red trail come rippling off of them. "W-what the hell..."

Dmitri grabbed his arm, pulling him back over towards her and away from the soiled clothing. "Don't..."

Ed gave her a horrified glare, pulling on her arms to move her further under the spray of the shower, hoping it would help raise her temperature a little. "What do you mean 'don't'?! What happened? Hawkeye wouldn't tell me, but I know it has to be something big if Mustang called her about it in the first place." Dmitri's face kept it's emotionless mask much to Ed's concern; why was she so... empty? It's as if she was dead- Dead... Nina was dead now. And Dmitri didn't _know_... should he tell her? She already looked close to shattering, he wasn't sure she could handle hearing about Nina's murder...

"... I lost another one." Dmitri said, her hold on his wrist falling limp as she collapsed back against the wall, her eyes training on the red fabric of his coat as she fiddled with it in her now covered lap. Ed quirked a brow, his mouth opening to ask her what she was going on about only to pause; what about her creed? Don't ask, don't tell. Was it any of his business what she had lost? What ever it was, it must have been important for it to cause her to do something this stupid. You know what, fuck it! She's freezing herself to death and her cloths, of which she isn't even _wearing_ , are covered in blood!

"What are you talking about? You disappear in the middle of the night and when I do find you, your freezing yourself, naked _and_ your cloths are covered in _blood_." Ed grabbed her shoulders again, making her look up at him again. "What the hell _happened_ to you?!"

"..." Ed let his head fall in exasperation, his forehead coming to rest on the wall just above her shoulder. He hadn't expected a true answer but anything would have been better then this _blank_ staring. He released her shoulders, falling to the side so he was sitting on her right side, leaning against the wall instead of over her. The shower head had yet to stop spraying, leaving them both soaked from head to toe now; his coat was practically useless now, and he too would need a change of cloths- "When I was 12 and new to the field, I was on a mission for Maes and Roy... doing some digging on an organization suspected of human trafficking." Ed turned his head to stare at Dmitri with wide eyes. "I got caught. Roy and Maes where able to locate me before I could be sold off but... the organization had already tried to break me. Buyers didn't want to buy slaves that would bite back." Ed frowned; he didn't have to ask to know what she was talking about. Human trafficking, despite what the government would have everyone believe, was still very active. Young, pretty girls are kidnapped and 'broken in' so they would be obedient sex slaves to the disgusting men that purchased them. A huge ball of anger and biol rose in the back of Ed's throat, the thought that Dmitri had been used in such a way- it made him actually _want_ to _kill_ something.

"A month after I was brought back, I turned 13... two months later I found out I-" she paused, her brow furrowing a little in distress, her arms wrapping around her middle subconsciously. "It was hard, Ed... I didn't know what to do. I didn't know if I could love it, knowing that it had been created in such a horrible way." She unwrapped her arms, pulling the side of his coat open to finger a scar he had never seen before. It was cleaner then the scar on her hip, but non-the-less concerning. It ran from the her navel all the way down past the edge of her undergarments. "The labor was intensive," Ed's eyes widened in complete shock. "Chemically, my body had been ready for childbearing for almost two years... physically, it wasn't even close to ready. The Doctor in charge decided to break my hip in an attempt to make more room for the baby to pass through. But it didn't work; they had to go in after him." Dmitri leaned her head back against the wall, a bitter sweet smile falling onto her lips. "He was so beautiful... They didn't think I could love him like a mother should because of my age. But they where wrong; I should have hated him, for what he represented... but I had never been so happy in all my life." She reached down grabbing Ed's left hand, holding it palm up She traced the lines there, the action sending goose flesh up his arm. "I did the count; ten toes, ten fingers... he was screaming like a banshee but I didn't care; it was a good sign that despite my age, he was healthy."

"...Where is he?" Ed asked tentatively.

Dmitri's shoulders tensed up, her fingers going still over his hand. "... the nurses took him away. They said he was going to be checked over, just to be sure all his vitals where in working order..." She paused then, her fingers wrapping around his from either side. "The doctor came in some minutes later; I had yet to be fully sewed up from the emergency operation... he had died." Ed took in a sharp breath; he didn't know why he had asked. Clearly the child wasn't around anymore, he would have seen him by now, but... a part of him had hoped that the baby was ok... "A few minutes into his check up his heart stopped; that's what they told me. They said it was because he was inside me for to long after my water broke; he was crushed. I didn't even have time to name him..." Ed's shoulders slumped a little, his eyes moving from Dmitri's distressed face to the stone floor. It was... horrible. Never in a million years would he have ever guessed that someone could go through something like that, let alone a little girl. It didn't seem right; where was the equivalency? That's how the world worked, right...? "I was forced off the field for almost a year. During that time I was subject to ridicule and shame from people who didn't know the whole story. All they knew, was that I was a 13 year old who had gotten pregnant. It took a lot of begging, but Roy eventually agreed to let me go back to work. I barely came back after that, only stopping in to let Roy and Meas know I was alive..." DMitri smiled a little, making Ed quirk a curious brow at her. "It was on my 15th birthday that I met Shou and Nina... it was love at first sight."

Ed blanched a little, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "O-oh yeah... but... wasn't he a little old for you?..."

Dmitri snorted, a few weak laughs escaping from her lips as she elbowed Ed's side making him wince. "No goober- I'm talking about Nina." Ed smiled a little, proud that he was able to make her smile despite the heavy conversation. "She... Nina was around the same age my boy would have been if he had lived, and she was just so cute, I fell for her instantly!" Dmitri smiled warmly, leaning against Ed's shoulder while keeping hold of his hand. "I remember the first thing she said to me, 'can I call you big sister?'. I mean, her babble is cute now, can you imagine how cute she was when she was _just_ learning to talk?"

Ed nodded, the small smile on his face falling into a frown. "Dmitri..." She hummed in answer, still unwilling to relinquish her hold on his arm. The water in the shower was starting to cool, making her shiver a little. "I have to tell you something... about Nina."

Dmitri sighed, tiling her head back and letting the chilled water run over her face. "She's dead."

Ed's eyes widened in shock. "H-how did you know? Who told you?"

Dmitri's head fell as she brought her right hand up to her face, inspecting her own fingers and palm as if comparing it to his own. "...Who's blood do you think this is..."

Ed jumped away from her as if burned, coming to his knee's with his hands laying flat against the floor. He gave Dmitri a horrified glare. "What?" He hissed out. "You didn't do it- tell me you-"

Dmitri shook her head, seemingly unmoved by Ed's sudden movement or his overflowing furry. "... I _found_ them. I woke up last night intent to find Shou." Dmitri holds her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking a little heavier from what Ed assumed was the cold. "I wanted to ask him _why_... why did he do this? Why didn't he just tell me he was going to lose his certification?!" Her voice was angry now though she refused to show Ed her face. "What, did he think I wasn't _paid_ for the jobs that I took on?! If he had told me, I could have taken over the household finances, funded his research for him... Nina wouldn't of had to suffer..." Dmitri dug her fingers into her scalp, drawing a tiny amount of blood. "But when I found them... it was to late." Ed sank back onto his knee's, his head falling to hang limply from his shoulders. "They were destroyed! Torn apart from the inside- Nina... she had tear stains on her face! She must have been so scared... just like the night of the transmutation... and all the nights _I_ was gone on a job... and she had nobody to comfort her..." Ed lifted his head a little, crawling back over to Dmitri's side and sitting silently beside her. He didn't know what to say; he didn't have anything to say. He wasn't good at comforting himself, let alone others. He didn't understand the pain that she felt; sure, he had lost his mother. And it had devastated both him and his little brother. His mother had been to young; only in her late twenties. But something about the death of a child... Granny Pinako always said she didn't know what their mother would have done should either Al or Ed himself had died. "... she called me mama... even a-after I l-let that m-monster do t-that t-t-to her!"

Ed glanced over at her, raising his arm as if to- what? What could he do? Dmitri answered that for him by falling over to the side so that she was laying across his lap, turned so that she was curled into his stomach, her arms wrapped around his middle. Ed froze for a moment before lowering his hand to rest in the curve of her side, his right hand coming up to lay atop her head.

"I-i-i'm s-s-sorry... p-p-princ-cess, I'm s-s-sorry..." Ed grit his teeth, allowing his head to fall back against the wall. The cold water falling from the shower head above him felt... nothing. He couldn't feel it; that fact should have worried him a little, right? He couldn't... Ed shifted a little, pulling Dmitri further up his torso and wrapping both his arms around her. He'd never felt so useless as a human being; if only this alone was enough to erase her sorrow- "Ed... W-what do we d-do n-now?" Ed tucks her head under his chin, holding it in place with his cold right hand just as the shower head above them came to a trickling stop.

"...This works..."

* * *

It didn't take Dmitri long to cry herself to sleep. Ed stayed there for a moment longer, not wanting to disturb her. But when they both began to shake from the cold he had little choice but to move them back to their dorm room. He didn't bother to grab her soiled clothing- he was sure that Mustang would understand. After being sure his sopping wet coat was tucked securely around her, Ed carried Dmitri and himself back to the dormitories, arriving in their room to a very anxious Al. With Al's help he was able to change Dmitri from his soaked coat into a dry shirt and a pair of shorts, tucking her into bed.

"Brother... are you going to tell me what happened?" Al asked as Ed pulled the blanket up to Dmitri's chin. She shivered, even in her sleep, a whimper escaping her lips as she snuggled deeper into the bedding. Ed pulled a stray wet hair from her cheek as he shook his head; he couldn't bring himself to say much of anything. He didn't really wan't to relive what had happened... Al sighed in disappointment. "It's not my story to tell Al..." Ed said as he replaced his damp coat and gloves before turning towards the door. He wasn't going to bother with changing; he didn't plan on staying in that building any longer then necessary, and the rain would only sodden him again. "Come one Al..." Al glanced between Ed and the still sleeping Dmitri with uncertainty before following his brother out into the hall way, being sure to close the door behind him. Ed heard his little brothers heavy foot fall's behind him and took solace in the familiarity of the sound. Despite the tragedy that lead to his brothers current state, it was strangely soothing to know that he was just behind him at all times... it seemed to be the only certain thing right now.

"Brother, where are we going?"

Ed didn't answer him; he didn't know where they where going. But he knew that he wanted to be anywhere but there.

* * *

Dmitri sat up with a scream, her eyes wide and her breathing labored. Flashes of Nina and Tuckers broken bodies continued to flash across her mind, making her shake her head to be rid of them. Her eyes darted around the room frantically, her hands coming up to grasp at her hair, her face her arms and legs... she was ok; it was just a nightmare. Looking around the room again, Dmitri did inventory on the room. Everything was there... no. Something was off- Dmitri looked around again, her brows furrowing in confusion. What was- her eyes landed on a suitcase set at the side of the other bed, it's brown surface rather familiar to her. She looked around, pulling the blankets off of her as she stood up from the bed. "Ed?" She called out. "Al? Where are you guys?" She didn't get a response. That bothered her. With little thought she tore from the room, intent on finding the two brothers. They were all she had left now... As she rounded a corner she saw a group of men uniformed running towards the main door's.

Dmitri fell into step beside one of the more familiar ones. "What's going on?" She asked him.

He glanced over at her with half hearted glare. "And why should I tell you anything? What the hell is a civilian girl doing running around the military dormitories in her _pajamas_?!" Dmitri rolled her eyes and reached into her shirt, pulling her certification watch out and practically shoving it in his face. "Ah! M-Major!" The poor man came to a startled halt making Dmitri almost by pass him. He gave her a frantic salute, his face red in embarrassment.

"At ease!" Dmitri demanded making the soldier fumble out of his salute. She sighed in relief; hopefully nobody else saw that... "Now, tell me what's going on or I'll report you to your commanding officer." Dmitri replaced her watch, feeling a little guilty about pulling the rank card; she wasn't supposed to technically exist in the State Alchemist program, so it was kind of a red flag when she showed her watch to her 'underlings' in order to make any headway... that and Mustang didn't really appreciate it.

"Uh, yes ma'ma!"

"Please don't do that..." she grumbled making him falter once again. "As far as Colonel Mustang and his higher ups know I'm not here, and I'd like to keep it that way." He gave her a weary look; was it a lie? Kind of. Mustang knew she was here, but his commanding officers (who are few and in-between) had no idea and she wanted to keep it that way. "Now, your report?"

He jumped back to attention, this time being careful not to salute her. "Yes Ma'ma! We have received orders from Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Colonel Hughes to take post in the vicinity of the Main Road! We are on a search and rescue mission ma'ma! Our target's; Edward and Alphonse Elric!"

Dmitri's eyes widened minutely. "Damn it!" She hissed out, nodding at the cadet. "Thank you! As you were." Dmitri turned as the solider bowed his head and rejoined his fellow men who had practically left him behind. Dmitri made her way to a nearby window, leaping from it to a nearby tree outside. "Damn it Ed; what the hell could you have gotten mixed up in in the last _6 hours_?!"

Dmitri jumped from building to building, her eyes scanning the crowd bellow for a familiar red-there!" EDWARD!" She shouted trying to get his attention. "ALPHONSE!" The two boy's stood just as the same awkward soldier she had spoken to came running up to them. Dmitri scaled down the side of a building, landing in an alleyway some ten feet from where Ed, Al and the soldier stood. Another man, this one far larger in stature then Dmitri could have ever believed existed outside her family, was making his way determinedly towards Ed and Al, his shoulders set straight and his hands sitting casually in his jacket pockets. He was a stranger to her, and he stuck out like a sore thumb with his bright yellow jacket and crisp white hair. A distinct scar adorned his face too, cutting it's way from his forehead to his cheek bones and making the shape of an X over his skin. His eyes were obscured by dark sunglasses. "That scar... I've heard about this guy, but who is-" The soldier suddenly moved to pull his gun. "DO-!" Dmitri tried to stop him only to fall short as the strange man lifted his right hand and slammed it into the soldiers face. A red alchemic wave came off said arm, entering the soldier who let out a strangled scream before his body seemed to detonate from the inside, blood surging from every orifice and pore on his body and splattering across the pavement."Holy shit..." Dmitri mumbled.

The murderous man dropped the soldier like a useless bag of trash, his eyes cutting back to Ed and Al who seemed to be frozen to the spot. Dmitri took off at a run, ignoring the scrape of the cobblestone road beneath her bare feet; she wasn't sure what she was going to do but she knew she had to do something. This man was crazy, unstable- "EDWARD! ALPHONSE, RUN!" Dmitri reached into her shirt, pulling out a medium sized vial. With a clap of her hands she transmuted one of her guns, a huge double barreled shot gun. The man glanced over at her just as his right hand was about to make contact with Ed's head. Dmitri took a running leap, aiming the barrel of her gun like a club at the scared man's head. He was able to dodge at the last second, and grabbed the barrel of her gun with his right hand. The same alchemic energy came from his arm just before the barrel exploded, turning into mere ashes. Dmitri pushed what remained of the gun into the chest of the scared man, knocking him back a step or two, allowing her to grab Ed and Al's arm's. It wasn't until she started to drag them towards a nearby alleyway that Ed was finally able to snap out of his shock.

"D-Dmitri!? Where the hell did you come from?!" Ed asked as he was practically dragged down a maze of alley's and streets. "AND WHY ARE YOU IN YOUR PAJAMAS?!"

"No offence, but we have more important and potentially deadly things to worry about right now!" She answered back as she took yet another random right turn, making Ed and Al almost fall over as they followed after her. "What the hell Ed, I leave you two alone for six hours and you two go and piss off some psycho alchemy freak?!" Al was quick to their defense as Dmitri allowed them to stop, clapping her hands together and placing them against the ground, sealing off the mouth of the alley with a wall identical to the that of the street. Ed gaped at her, his mouth flapping open and closed like a fish out of water.

"We don't know who that man is; he just attacked us out of nowhere!" Al said making Dmitri sigh.

"Well who ever he is, that wall should buy us a little time." Ed pointed between her and the wall, giving Al a stupefied look.

"What brother?" Al asked as Dmitri rummaged through her bra, attempting to find another gun. Hopefully she could find one small enough to do some long range damage with out drawing the murderers attention... "Don't tell me you didn't know she could do that..."

"A-and you did?!"

Dmitri cheered as she pulled out a particularly small vial. "Ed, how else do you think I could transmute so fast?" She asked as she clapped her hands together over the vial. Green alchemic energy came from between her palms, and moments later she was hold a large hand gun with strange gears and knobs covering it. " Damn, bigger then I wanted... oh well! Now come on, our little maze run and this wall won't hold-?!" The wall behind her exploded sending her flying forward into Al's armor with a shout of surprise.

"Ah! Demi-"

Dmitri winced as she reached over her shoulder, shooting at the scared man. Again he dodged, flexing the fingers on his right hand before moving to jump though the hole he had created in the wall. "Don't pause you idiots! RUN!" Ed and Al didn't hesitate to follow her orders, with Al putting Dmitri over his shoulder so she could continue to fire at their attacker. "Damn it Al, we need to get you some shoulder pads!" Dmitri's eyes widened in shock as the man slammed his charged right hand against the side of one of the buildings making up the alleyway, sending a spiderweb of eerie red light across it's side. "Shit! Get dow-!" The entire building crumbled, falling debris coming with in inches of Dmitri and the boy's heads. The boy's had stopped running, their path obstructed by the mountain of brick, wood and mortar.

"What now Demi?" Al asked as he set her back down, all three of them turning to see the scared man stalking ever closer a look of pure determination in his eyes.

"I don't know; his alchemy is dangerous. He's not following the proper procedures..." Dmitri said, her gun held firmly in her hand at her side.

"What the hell are you?!" Ed shouted at the scared man. "Why are you coming after us?!"

The man stopped in his tracks, a grim frown pulling at his mouth. "...If there are creators, then there are also destroyers." The three teen's stared at him in confusion.

"I think this guy is mental..." Dmitri muttered as she reloaded her gun; damn, only three shot's left? Either this guy is inhumanly fast, or her marksmanship is getting rusty. "I don't think we have a choice boys." Ed sighed and clapped his hands together before grabbing hold of a pipe that jutted out of the destroyed wall, forming it effortlessly into a long, curved blade. Al fell into an easy fighting stance, nodding his head with confidence. "Stay low, and don't let him touch you with that hand of his."

The scared man smiled a little. "You've got guts..."

"Let's go!" The three teen's shouted together. Ed and Al took the lead with Dmitri close behind them, transmuting the top of her gun into a sharp blade. As they descended onto the scared man, he dodged Ed and Al's attacks like they where nothing, seeming to toy with the boy's more then anything. Dmitri came from underneath the boys, her blade aimed at the unsuspecting man's throat. At the last second he dodged, his charged right hand coming for her face.

"Watch out!" Al shouted as he grabbed the back of Dmitri's shirt, pulling her away just enough for the dangerous hand to skim by her nose. However, Al wasn't so lucky. The scared man pressed against his side, destroying half of Al's armor in a single shot. Al let out a startled cry as he fell to the ground in a useless pile.

"AL!" Dmitri shouted before firing a single shot at the scared man who was quick to jump out of the way, putting some distance between himself and the teenagers... _shit, only two left now..._ Dmitri thought to herself as she turned to find Al.

" _ **YOU SON OF A**_ _ **BITCH!**_ " Ed didn't give the scared man enough time to attack again, swinging at him in a blind furry.

Dmitri was able to crawl to Al's side, her worry mounting as the suit of armor stayed still on the ground. "Al?! Are you ok? Answer me damn it!" Dmitri demanded as she took off his helmet, checking for his blood seal. It was easy enough to spot, being right underneath where his helmet would normally sit. A crack in his armor had come dangerously close to the soul binding seal making Dmitri's heart nearly stop. Dmitri reached out to inspect the crack only to jump back in surprise when Al's entire body jolted as if having been awoken from a deep sleep. "Al?"

Al was gasping as if having just resurfaced from a deep dive, his head moving from side to side frantically as he tried to follow the sound of Ed's fight against the scared man. "I-I'm fine- what about brother? Where is he?!"

Dmitri looked up to see Ed still swinging at the scared man who seemed more than capable of dodging the poorly planned attacks. "Al, don't you dare try to move!" Dmitri ordered him as she stood and started jogging towards the fighting pair. Al shouted after her, his voice full of fear as he found himself unable to move the entire left side of his armor. Dmitri came within ten feet of Ed and the scared man when the man suddenly grabbed hold of Ed's right arm. Red alchemic energy flared up, making Dmitri come to a screeching halt, her eyes widening in terror. "Ed!" A bright flash of light engulfed the alleyway. Reaching out blindly, Dmitri grabbed the back of Ed's red coat, throwing him and herself away from the scared man who seemed perplexed as he watched Ed and Dmitri land in a heap on the ground, still very much alive with all his limbs intact.

"Damn it!" Ed hissed out as he removed his now destroyed red coat, revealing his automail arm. It was smoking from the heat produced by the destruction of Ed's coat, but otherwise looked undamaged. Dmitri and Ed pushed themselves up, turning together to face the now perplexed scared man. "That was my favorite coat!"

"You ok? He didn't damage your arm did he?" Dmitri asked Ed over her shoulder, refusing to take her eyes off the their opponent. The scared man studied them for a moment longer, a tight frown pulling at his mouth.

Ed rotated his right shoulder, content to find that he still had full control over it. "He's about to wish he _had_."

The scared man however wasn't paying them much mind. He stared down at his right palm, glancing between it, Al and Ed's arm. "Automail... I see. That's why it wasn't destroyed through human destruction. And the big one; I thought that I would destroy his body because I tore apart his armor... but he doesn't have a body. You're a strange bunch... haven't I wasted enough time on you though?" Ed and Dmitri sneered at him, both of them clapping their hands together. Ed transmuted his right arm into a curved blade while Dmitri transmuted her gun into two short blades.

"To bad for you psycho, but we're not nice enough to play by your schedule." Dmitri growled at him as her and Ed fell into fighting stances.

"Brother, Demi- don't... please, run away!" Al shouted from his spot on the ground.

With out so much of a glance Dmitri scolded Al over her shoulder."I told you not to move Al! Just sit back and let us finish the creep off; you don't honestly think we would just leave you here, do you?" Al made to protest, his armor creaking as he tried to push himself up with his functioning right arm.

"You idiot!" Ed shouted at him making Al go silent once again. "Like hell we're running away and leaving you behind! Just listen to Dmitri; we'll get this taken care of this freak and then I'll fix your armor and we can all go back together, got it?!"

"Hmmm... indeed you are an odd bunch of kids..." The scared man said in a monotone voice, dragging Ed and Dmitri's attention back to him. "Your transmutations... by putting your hands together, you form a ring and use the cycled energy to perform alchemy." The scared man dropped into a fighting stance making Ed and Dmitri go stock still. With a battle cry from all three fighters, they rushed each other. With lightning fast movements the scared man quickly disarmed Dmitri, turning her twin blades to ash much like her shot gun before punching her into a pile of rubble.

"W-what?!" Al shouted. "H-he wasn't that fast before brother!"

Ed glanced over to see Dmitri pulling herself out of the rubble, a little worse for wear with a large cut on her forehead that was gushing blood. He turned back to the fight, lunging at the scared man with renewed anger. " ** _BAAASTAAARD!_** "

"With that annoying woman out of the way, the first thing to do..." The scared man said roughly as he once against grabbed Ed's right arm. Ed paled in sudden panic while Al shouted for him to get away. "Is to have this equally annoying arm destroyed." Red alchemic energy flared up in the scared mans own arm before being released onto Ed's automail, tearing it into a million pieces all the way up to his shoulder port. The force of the explosion knocked Ed clean off his feet and onto the rain soaked ground.

" ** _BROTHER!_** " Al screamed as Ed tried to lift himself back up with his left arm. At that moment the sky seemed to open up, dousing them all in it's cold embrace. Violent flashes of lightning danced across the sky, giving off enough light to see the reluctant look of defeat on Ed's face. He was with out an arm meaning he couldn't transmute any more. Al was in pieces, and if he tried to move the wrong way his blood seal could crack and that would be the end... and Dmitri...

Dmitri fell out of the rubble pile with a heavy thud, her head spinning from the hit she took upon landing in the debris. Seeing the blood on the ground coming from her wound made her wince; she couldn't afford to lose any more blood right now, she was still recovering... Dmiri looked up just as another flash of lightning illuminated the sky to see Ed kneeling on the ground, the pieces of his destroyed automail laying around him and the scared man standing above him in mute confidence.

"I will give you time to pray to god." The scared man said making Dmitri's blood run cold.

"Sorry, but there isn't a god I wan't to pray to." Ed said, his voice bitter in his defeat. "You're only after me, right? My little brother... and Dmitri... are you going to kill them too?"

"If there are obstacles, I remove them. But for now, the only one I have business with is the Fullmetal Alchemist..." The scared man said definitively. Dmitri moved a little, intent of grabbing something she could use to transmute a weapon. But upon moving she was struck with a dizzy spell, forcing her back to the ground. She wanted to punch something; she was so useless! Was this some kind of cruel trick?! Was she really expected to just lay here and watch her friend get murdered?!

"Then promise me... that you won't touch either of them."

"Ed- shut up! _Run you idiot_!" Dmitri shouted, wincing at the strain it put on her already throbbing head.

" ** _What are you saying?! Brother, what are you doing?!_** " Al screamed from the other side of the alley. As the scared man lowed his hand towards Ed's unguarded head Dmitri tried once more to grab hold of something, anything- her hands wrapped around an all to familiar blade handle, a small rush of relief flooding through her as she brought it into her hands, clapping them weakly and transmuting one of her short swords into a small hand gun. " **_RUN AWAY!_** "

Dmitri aimed the gun at the scared man's head, her whole body shaking from the strain of the additional blood loss from her head wound. "Edward... you idiot-" She hissed out as her finger started to tighten on the trigger; she hoped she hit her mark- the sound of a gunshot much louder then her little gun was capable of echoed through the air making Dmitri's heart nearly stop.

"That's as far as you go."

She could have cried when the scared man's hand stopped just short of Ed's head, his fingers twitching in his restraint. Dmitri's head snapped over to the origin of the shot, a large grin spreading over her face as she allowed her arm to relax, the small gun falling from her hand. "It's about damn time you found us Colonel!" She shouted at Mustang as she found the strength to push herself back up. He glanced at her, a small frown pulling at his lips before he returned his attention back to the scared man and Ed.

"That was a close call, Fullmetal, Lead." Mustang said. Ed sat up, holding onto the stump of his right arm port. "Lead, that man is the suspect for the serial murders of national Alchemists." Dmitri's eyes widened and moved back to the scared man.

"Meas mentioned him to me but I didn't..." She sighed, putting pressure on her bleeding head. "I didn't put the pieces together. If I had I wouldn't have wasted so much time... As you can see, there's no doubt that this man, _is_ who Meas has been looking for, Scar."

Mustang nodded in agreement. "There's also no doubt... that he is behind the murders of Shou and Nina Tucker." Ed, Al and Dmitri all gasped in shock.

Scar scowled, his hands balling into fists at his side. "Alchemists are those that twist the natural state of creation to a degenerate form," he said, eyeing them all with bitter hatred. "That is, in short, sacrilege to our creator, God." He brought his right fist up, inspecting a series of strange tattoo's that covered it in red ink. The designs looked foreign to Dmitri, but she wasn't sure if that was true or if her blurry vision was making it hard to read the alchemic formulas from that distance. "As the messengers of God, we are those that carry out God's judgment."

"That's something I don't understand." Mustang said, his eyes challenging Scar with a glare. "There are many Alchemists, but why are you targeting only those that have national licenses?"

Scar pinned Mustang with a leveling stare, his shoulders squaring up in answer to Mustang's challenge. "No matter what, if you intend to interfere with this boy's judgment, I will eliminate you too."

Mustang's eyes narrowed fractionally, his jaw tightening in annoyance. "Is that so..." He ground out, tossing his gun over his shoulder and reaching into his pockets, pulling out his signature white gloves.

"Colonel Mustang!" Hawkeye shouted in warning after catching his gun mid air.

"Roy, don't do anything stupid!" Dmitri said in a panic. What an idiot! What could he possibly do right now?!

"Relax; I'll torch him before he gets with in a foot of Fullmetal." Mustang said as he adjusted his gloves.

"So..." Scar said gaining everyone's attention again. "Mustang... as in the national alchemist."

Mustang leered at him, his eyes set with determination as he took his stance, poised to snap into action. "Indeed! Roy Mustang, the Flame Alchemist!"

Scar's shoulders relaxed, his knee's bending into a lose fighting stance. "For one that turns against God to come in person to receive judgment..." Scar stepped forward, his right arm crackling with it's strange red alchemic energy. "Today is a good day!"

Roy took a step forward himself, a fire burning in his eyes. "You know that I am the Flame Alchemist and yet you dare to fight me!" Scar launched himself at Mustang, moving much faster then what should have been humanly possible. In a panic Dmitri clapped her hand's together and slammed them into the ground. Green alchemic energy traveled over the pavement to directly under Mustang where the ground disappeared, making Mustang falter and fall back just as he snapped his fingers with out producing a flame. Scar's glowing right hand skimmed above Mustang head, missing him by only a hundredth of a centimeter. Hawkeye was quick to move, aiming both her's and Mustang's gun's at Scar and opening fire. Scar was able to dodge at the last second, jumping back from the attack and landing just a few feet away from where Dmitri still sat.

"H-HEY! What's the big idea Lead?!" Mustang shouted as he pulled himself out of the hole. Hawkeye huffed while she reloaded the two guns.

"You idiot! Did you forget that it's raining?! You're worthless right now!" Dmitri yelled back at him, a small vein pulsing on the side of her head.

Hawkeye glanced at the sulking Mustang over her shoulder. "She's right Colonel; that was rather reckless of you. Please stay back; we'll handle it from here."

Scar huffed in agitation. "In addition to you coming here, it's nice how you can't even use your flame. Your arrogance is infuriating," Scar said angrily. "State Alchemists, and those who are obstacles to my mission," he turned to face Dmitri making her eyes widen and her blood run cold. "I will annihilate everyone here!" Scar shifted to the ball's of his feet, deadly intent shinning in his eyes which where set on Dmitri's pron head.

"Shit..." Dmitri muttered.

"Dmitri!" Al shouted from his place on the ground. Scar hunched down, the muscles in his shoulders and neck tensing up for his launch. Ed watched as everything seemed to go in slow motion; Scar pushed off with his left leg, his right arm extending towards Dmitri's head. Ed's mind rushed back to the horrible dream that had awoken him this morning, to the image of Dmitri's blood erupting from her head like a popped water balloon- Ed could hear shouts of terror from around him- or was that him shouting as Scar's hand inched ever closer to Dmitri's terrified face. The feeling of hand's landing on his shoulders hardly registered to him, nor did their insistent tugging and struggling against him- a loud explosion forced the world to move at it's normal pace, the change in speed nearly making Ed throw up. The first thing Ed realized was that Scar was now some twenty feet away from everyone, an annoyed scowl on his face. The second was the dust and debris that fell around the area where Dmitri had just been making Ed's heart stop.

"Dmitri!?" Third, his throat felt raw as if he had been screaming for hours. Ed disregarded this and made to move towards the cloud of dust, only to be stopped by Havoc and Breda. Had they been the ones pulling him back before?

"Easy Chief! Listen to us, damn it, you can't just go running in there!" Havoc shouted. Ed hardly heard what they were saying, his mind far to occupied with finding his partner through the dust cloud. What the hell happened!? This wasn't like when Scar had killed that solider earlier; there hadn't been an explosion like this. The dust began to clear thanks to the still heavily falling rain, revealing, not Dmitri, but a very large structured man with brood shoulders and massive arms and leg's. Iron knuckle shields covered his hands, one of which was still implanted in the side of the building while the other held Dmitri over his shoulder, her eyes wide and her mouth gaping.

Ed whole body shook with shock; when had muscles shown up?! "W-what the-?"

"To be able to not only corner a member of the Armstrong family, but to also be able to dodge my attack means that you are... quite good. Quite good indeed." The man said in an overly dramatic voice making everyone cringe. Dmitri, having recovered a little from her shock, face palmed herself as the anxiety literally melted from her shoulders. "Oh, you fiend who commits wrongs not only against my own Kin, but the nation it's self; you said that you would annihilate everyone here? How absurd! THEN FIRST, BEST ME IN COMBAT! I, the Strong-Arm Alchemist, ALEX LOUIS ARMSTRONG!" Scar gave them half a frown, his eyes narrowing as he looked between everyone.

"...They keep coming one after another today..." Scar said to himself, sounding rather pleased with the turn out. "This way I can save time!"

Armstrong chuckled a little, his hold on Dmitri growing tense. "Second Lieutenant Havoc." He said over his shoulder. Havoc removed his hold on Ed and stepped forward only to be knocked over when Dmitri went sailing into him. The two of them landed with loud shouts of shock, making everyone else sweat drop at the scene. "Keep an eye on my dear, sweet little cousin! She is _not_ to be put in harms way again!" Dmitri and Havoc lay on the ground, both groaning as they tried to stop their heads from spinning.

"I-I think he just caused us both _more_ damage..." Havoc said.

"R-R-right? T-that idiot..." Dmitri said with a groan. Breda and Ed helped untangled the two of them as Falmen rushed over with a couple rifles. Ed let out a breath he didn't realize he had held when he found Dmitri relatively unharmed apart from the gash on her forehead. "H-hey! Shouldn't you guys stay back? What if Scar comes over here?" Dmitri asked in alarm. A large explosion kept the three second Lieutenants from answering. Ed grabbed Dmitri by the shoulder and pulled her further away from the danger zone as Armstrong destroyed yet another building in his battle with Scar. Dmitri looked over her shoulder in time to see large stone spikes erupting from the ground, attacking Scar who had to work to dodge them. "ALEXANDER! DON'T MAKE SUCH A MESS!" Dmitri scolded her cousin.

"Yeah, don't destroy _too_ much of the city!" Havoc shouted at him as Breda and Falmen handed out the shot guns.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?! BEHIND DESTRUCTION THERE LIES CREATION! BEHIND CREATION THERE LIES DESTRUCTION! DESTRUCTION AND CREATION ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN!" Dmitri and the others groaned in exasperation as Armstrong suddenly stripped himself of his upper jacket and shirt, revealing a ridiculously large though impressively chiseled body. "DESTROY AND CREATE! FOR THIS IS THE LAW OF THE UNIVERSE!"

"... I can't believe I'm related to that..." Dmitri said with a dead panned look as Ed leaned over to talk to her.

"Is he sparkling, or is that just me?" Dmitri gave him a half hearted thumbs up, indicating that she too could see the strange sparkling lights that seemed to hover around her cousin's shoulders.

" _Why_ did he take his shirt off?" Havoc put in.

"More importantly, why is he using such strong Alchemy?" Hawkeye interjected.

Armstrong lowered his head a little, leveling with Scar who had a slightly disturbed look on his face. "As an alchemist, you wouldn't think it was _that_ powerful. Isn't that right Scar?" Everyone aside from Ed, Al and Dmitri gasped in shock.

"An alchemist... you mean he's also and Alchemist?!" Mustang asked incredulously.

Dmitri and Ed nodded their heads, the later scowling a little. "Yes Colonel; if you break them up, the three major parts of transmutation are knowledge, deconstruction and recreation." Dmitri said, her lips pulling into a frown as she stared down at her blood soaked hand. Damn it; Armstrong's stunt had reopened her forehead again..."This man... he stops his transmutations at the second step... it's why all his victims look as if they've been torn apart from the inside out... it's because they had been..." A larger hand covered her own blood soaked one, blocking it from her view. Following the arm she found Ed who was watching the continuing battle closely, his brow furrowed in concentration. Another hand fell atop her head making her glance up to see Havoc, Breda and Falman standing behind her, all their gazes fixed ahead of them.

"Don't worry Lead; we won't let this bastard get away with this." Havoc said before removing his hand from her head. A shot rang out making Dmitri snap back to the fight just in time to see Scar jump back, his dark sunglasses falling from his face along with a few drops of blood.

Hawkeye huffed and cocked her riffle again. "Did you get him?!" Mustang inquired.

Hawkeye shook her head, dissatisfaction evident on her face. "He's fast. I only managed to graze him." Scar glared heatedly at all of them, a small trail of blood falling from his temple down the side of his face. Every sucked in a sharp breath when they got a good look at his eyes.

"Red eyes and brown skin..." Dmitri mumbled under her breath. "And Ishvalan?"

Scar grimaced at the sting of his wound, a disappointed frown falling on his face. "Just as I thought. I'm at a disadvantage against this many opponents..." Scar turned as if to just walk away only to stop at the sound of many cocking guns. Dmitri held up the rifle she had been given despite the ache she felt in her limbs. The bead was aimed directly at his face, and her fingers itched to pull the trigger; this bastard-

"Hold it!" Mustang commanded. "You don't actually believe you can get away when you're surrounded, do you?" In answer to Mustangs question Scar raised his right arm high above his head, his alchemic energy erupting from it as he slammed it down into the pavement bellow him. Dmitri gasped as the ground beneath her started to crumble away. Ed reached out with his remaining arm and pulled her towards him, barely managing to pull the two of them away from what was now a large sink hole. It didn't take long for the dust to settle and reveal the massive hole Scar had created to gain access to his escape rout into the cities sewers. "H-he went into the sewers?!" Havoc said in shock. Ed and Dmitri glanced at each other before letting out a relieved sigh, though Dmitri's was more put off then his; she had taken to long to set up her shot...

It looked like everyone had managed to avoid the collapsing road, and where in relatively good condition. That is until Ed was grabbed by the front of his tank top and shaken by a furious Dmitri. "H-H-HEY! W-w-hat t-the h-h-e-e-llll?!" Ed said through the shaking. Dmitri stopped shaking him only to slam her forehead into his, pinning him with such dark and furious eyes it made everyone around them shuffle away. The force of her head hitting his made Ed see stars for a second or two, and reopened her partially closed head wound allowing her blood to flow freely not just down the side of her head, but Ed's as well.

"If you _ever_ give up on yourself like that again, I'll _kill you myself_..." she hissed out. Ed made a terrified sound, his eyes wide in shock when Dmitri suddenly hugged him around the neck, nearly knocking the two of them over again. "Y-your such an i-idiot! We just lost Nina... how could you even think of making us go on after losing you too! And where would that leave Al, you big _jerk_!" Ed blushed a little, a heavy feeling of guilt washing over him as he pat the top of her head with his remaining arm.

"H-hey... it's ok, you don't have to cry-GAH!" Dmitri punched him in the gut before standing and wiping off her face. Ed groaned and held his stomach, the other officers wincing in sympathy for him.

"I'M NOT CRYING! I JUST GOT SOME RUBBLE IN MY EYES! IT'S THE RAIN DAMN IT!" She shouted making Ed wince due to her close proximity. Dmitri turned then and stormed towards Al who made a nervous sound seeing that her destination was him. "I'm going over here to see the _smart_ brother!" Ed grumbled and stood up, making his way over to Al as well, his hand still rubbing his damaged stomach as he went; damn, she had a really good right hook. Dmitri knelt down at Al's side, inspecting the inside of his armor and letting out a little sigh. "Jeeze Al, you almost cracked your blood seal..."

"Sorry Demi..." Ed sighed, kneeling down in front of Al only to be socked in the face seconds later by said little brother. The hit was hard enough to leave him sprawled on his back and seeing stars. Dmitri snorted and crossed her arms over her chest; served him right! "YOU IDIOT!" Al shouted at Ed. "WHY DIDN'T YOU RUN AWAY WHEN WE TOLD YOU TOO?!"

Ed groaned and sat up, rubbing his abused cheek and stomach at the same time. What, was this insult and beat up Ed day?! "B-because I can't just leave you guys behind and just run away..." Ed said dejectedly.

This resulted in Al punching him again. "THAT'S WHY I CALLED YOU STUPID!"

Ed, fed up with being smacked around for trying to save their lives, sat up. He was clearly angry now as he sat on his knees and glared heatedly at his younger brother who was panting as if out of breath despite not having a real body. Dmitri held onto Al's shoulder, keeping him from moving anymore for fear that he might crack his armor further. "WHAT THE HELL GUYS?! IF I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO GOT AWAY, YOU TWO MIGHT HAVE BEEN KILLED!"

"WE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN!" Al shouted back. "HOW COULD YOU DO SOMETHING SO STUPID LIKE CHOOSING TO DIE WHEN YOU COULD KEEP LIVING!?"

Ed moved as if to punch Al back. "DON'T GO UP TO YOUR BIG BROTHER AND SAY HE'S STUPID-!?" Dmitri deflected his punch just as Al reached forward and grabbed Ed by his shirt front, pulling Ed up to be face to helmet with him. Ed, caught off guard by the tag team of his partner and little brother, could only stare back into Al's eerily glowing eyes.

"I'll say it again and again! You might find a way to restore our bodies if you survive and learn more about alchemy...!" Ed's eyes widened in shock as he hung limply in his little brothers hand. "And you... you might even find a way to save a poor little girl like Nina! But how could you toss away that possibility and pick _death_?! I ABSOLUTELY WON'T FORGIVE YOU IF YOU DO THAT! IF YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN-?!" Al's arm suddenly broke off allowing Ed to fall back to the ground with Al's arm landing with a clatter beside Ed. Ed, Al and Dmitri stared at the immobile appendage for a moment before Al started shouting again, flailing his remaining arm angrily. "AW THAT'S JUST GREAT! MY ARM FELL OFF ALL BECAUSE I HAVE AN IDIOT FOR A BROTHER!"

Dmitri sighed, sitting down on the ground before falling back so she was laying between the two fighting brothers. "I give up on this day..." she mumbled to herself.

Ed sighed, letting out a hollow laugh as his previous anger gave way to pure exhaustion. "Ah... we're falling apart, huh guys..." He said earning a snort from Dmitri.

"No, we're just growing up..."

"But we're alive." Al said making Ed and Dmitri smile a little.

"Yeah... we're alive." Ed said.

Dmitri hummed in agreement, her teeth starting to chatter as the adrenaline started to wear off. "Umm guys..." she said gaining the two brothers attentions. "I-i-i t-t-think I-i've l-l-l-o-ost-t-t t-t-to m-much b-blood-d..." Dmitri said through her shivers, laughing at the look of pure horror on their faces. "E-even Al's armor feel's warm, hahahaha!"

"AHHH! Demi, you're still sick and you've been bleeding and out in this cold weather all this time!" Al shouted in a panic. Ed turned to call for Mustang only to have his vision blocked by the over muscular chest of Major Armstrong. This made Ed back pedal in horror as one of the man's sparkles came dangerously close to smacking him in the nose.

"MY DEAREST COUSIN! PLEASE, ALLOW ME TO WARM YOU!" Armstrong said before he bent down to scoop Dmitri up only to be stopped by her foot in his face.

"That won't be necessary." She said as she forced herself up just as Havoc placed a blanket around Ed's shoulders, making the teen jump in surprise. "I believe Havoc already has us covered... no pun intended." Armstrong moved into a corner and sulked, his cousinly affection having been thwarted. Dmitri deadpanned as Hawkeye placed one of the larger blankets over her shoulders. "... Don't be a baby Alexander..."


	10. Ed's Oath

"Alexander, you're embarrassing me..." Dmitri said in exasperation from her spot atop Mustang's desk as her over-sized cousin blubbered like a baby beside a highly disturbed Ed and Al. After securing the area, Mustang had ordered everyone back to his main office to discuss their next step. Currently, they where discussing Ed's right arm or lack there of, which unfortunately lead to Armstrong's overly emotional state when he recalled the information that had been given to him via Mustang.

"I'M SORRY MY SWEET, INNOCENT LITTLE COUSIN! BUT IT IS JUST SO MOVING!" Armstrong said as he suddenly embraced Ed who immediately started panicking and trying to get away. "I'VE HEARD ABOUT YOU EDWARD ELRIC!" With a roll of her eyes Dmitri pried a grateful Ed from Armstrong's hold only to have him wrap her in an embrace and cry on her shoulder. Dmitri's left brow ticked in aggravation. "Your _pure love_ that made you try and bring back your mother! And your _mighty love_ that made you prepared to throw away your own life to transmute your little brothers soul! I AM MOVED-!" Armstrong made a move to hug Ed again only for Ed to plant his foot into Armstrong's face over Dmitri's head.

"Don't come near me." Ed said threateningly, a disturbed look on his face.

Dmitri pinched the bridge of her nose, patting Ed on the leg. "There there Ed; Alexander! Calm down would you!" Ed removed his foot and stalked over to Mustang, muttering under his breath the whole way. Dmitri turned back to Armstrong, handing him a handkerchief from inside her shirt. Armstrong took it and dabbed his eyes. "Honestly Alexander, you always get yourself so worked up; one of these day's you'll fall over dead from over excitement!" Armstrong sniffled a little, taking Dmitri's hands into his own (which where about the size of her head mind you).

"Dear sweet, innocent little cousin! Their story is truly tragic, one that gives birth to legends!" Armstrong turned then, placing one of his massive arms around Dmitri's shoulders. "And that is why, I shall take the responsibility of being your escort until we meet your prosthesis specialist, Edward Elric!" Ed, who had been in a heated discussion with Mustang looked up with a shocked face.

"WHAT?!" Dmitri sighed, seeing the refusal in Ed's face. "What the hell are you talking about! I don't need an Escort!"

Hawkeye stepped in, ever the reasonable one. "Edward, are you saying you're going to leave like you are now when you might be attacked by Scar again?" Ed pouted, grasping hold of his right shoulder uncertainly. "Doesn't it make sense to give you an escort who can stand up to him?"

Ed shrugged, pointing a thumb towards Dmitri who blinked in surprise. "What about Dmitri? Why can't she count as an escort?"

Dmitri shook her head, dashing Ed's hope of counting on her to back him up. "Sorry to disappoint, but while I do plan on coming with you and Al, I wouldn't be a match for Scar even if I wasn't still sick. Not to mention, I don't think we could carry Al..." Dmitri looked over at Al who was sitting against the wall, somehow blushing a little. "Sorry Al."

"T-that's ok! I wouldn't wan't you to try and carry me anyways; I wouldn't want to hurt you on accident..." Al said while rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Dmitri smiled and walked over to Al, patting the top of his head.

"Well aren't you just sweet!" She said making Al (some how) blush harder.

Ed sighed in exasperation. "But isn't there _anyone_ else we can take with us besides Major Armstrong?!" The room erupted in excuses for as to why nobody else could go with them making Ed's shoulders slump.

Armstrong placed a commanding hand on top of Ed's head making Ed fum. "It's decided!"

"DAMN IT!" Ed shouted, pushed Armstrong's hand off his head. "Al! Come one, back me up here!" Ed said, turning toward's Al who sniffled in reply.

"Brother! This is the first time I've been treated like a kid since I became a suit of armor!" Al said in excitement making Ed fall over in defeat.

Dmitri snickered, kneeling down and pinching Ed's cheek lightly. "Come on Ed, it won't be that bad."

Ed pouted. "Say's you! You're related to him, you _have_ to like him!" Ed complained as he swatted at her hand earning a laugh from her.

"If you insist on being unreasonable," Mustang said making Ed and Dmitri look at him. Dmitri deadpanned at the evil smirk that graced his face. "How would you like it if I gave you a court-martial for violating an order?"

" _THAT'S PLAYING DIRTY!"_ Ed growled while pointing an incriminating finger at Mustang who shrugged in response.

"Call it what you will, but this _is_ a direct order Fullmetal. Major Armstrong is to be your's and Lead's escort until your Automail can be fixed, is that understood." Ed sighed in defeat, moving to cross his arms over his chest only to remember that he did not have his right arm at the moment. Damn it all!

"Whatever..." He said letting out a frustrated huff.

* * *

Dmitri rolled her eyes as she watched Ed put the last of his spare cloths into his suit case, a sour look on his face."Come on Ed, stop sulking!" She said as she closed her own suitcase. Her and Ed and returned to the dorms to grab their bag's for the trip to Resembool, Ed's home town and the place of residence for is Mechanic Winry Rockbell. It felt weird to her to be using a suitcase, as she normally packed light, but with the long trip ahead of them she felt the need to bring a few extra changes of cloths. Ed huffed as he flipped the lid shut, closing the clasp irritably. "It's not going to be that bad. I promise to try and keep Alexander from causing to much trouble."

"Like I care what your crazy cousin does..." Ed grumbled while flinging his suitcase over his shoulder. Dmitri rolled her eyes and picked hers up as well, double checking that they had everything before following Ed out into the hall.

"I know you're not used to having to rely on others for protection, but with Scar on the loose it only makes sense to have someone there who can give us effective back up," Dmitri said, grabbing Ed's shoulder and making him turn to face her. "Normally I would be against an escort but... You saw how easy it was for Scar to take us out Ed, even with us working together. There's no way I could ever win against Scar one on one." Ed rubbed the back of his neck, a small blush dusting his cheeks.

"Like hell I'd let him get _that_ close again..." Ed mumbled under his breath before sighing. "I know it's the reasonable thing to do, I just don't understand why it has to be your cousin. If the name of the game is stealth, then why are we bringing along a human tank who has an affinity for stripping and making loud, dramatic speeches? He'll stick out like a sore thumb!" Dmitri laughed as the two of them started walking again. She grabbed Ed's lose sleeve, wiggling it at him teasingly.

"To be honest I don't think he likes you very much Ed," Dmitri said making Ed quirk a brow at her as he moved away from the irritating sleeve wiggling. "I mean, Alexander is only one of two family members that I don't hate with a passion, so I've always been a little dependent on him. Seeing how well you and I get along is probably making him a little leery."

Ed snorted, jerking his sleeve out of her hand. "How well we get along? Don't you mean how well I put up with your bull shit?"

Dmitri waved him off casually. "Let's not fuss of the details. Either way, I think he just want's to keep an eye on you. After all, I am his _sweet, innocent_ little cousin," Dmitri said with a wink before planting a small kiss to Ed's cheek and running for the front door.

Ed sputtered and cursed under his breath, his cheeks turning crimson red as he took off after the laughing Dmitri. "H-hey! Who said we could start playing that stupid game again?!" All he could hear was Dmitri laughing as jogged down the front steps, the sound of it bringing a instant smile to his face. Maybe some time away from the city would be good for them.

* * *

Dmitri placed her's and Ed's luggage in the luggage rack above their seats before taking her own seat across from Armstrong and a very disgruntled Ed. Armstrong had insisted that he sit beside Ed, making Dmitri give Ed an 'I-told-you-so' look that had him blushing. They where waiting for the train to leave. Dmitri looked around, a worry line coming to her face. "Alexander, where's Al? Please tell me you remembered to put him _on_ the train?" Before Armstrong could answer a knock was heard on their window making Dmitri jump a little in surprise. She smiled when she looked over though, seeing Lieutenant Colonel Hughes standing just outside their window. Ed opened the window, greeting the Lieutenant pleasantly.

"Yo!" Hughes said with a small smile.

"Hi Meas! Sorry I didn't greet you earlier, I was a little preoccupied." Dmitri said with a sheepish laugh as she leaned out the window and shared a hug with Hughes.

"It's no problem Lead; I know the last few day's have been rough on you," Hughes said as he pat the top of her head. He turned to Ed then who was also leaning a little out of the window, holding onto the back of Dmitri's jacket to keep her from falling out said window. "The guy's from HQ were to busy to drop by, so they sent me here instead to see you all off. And I've brought a message from Roy." Ed quirked a questioning brow. "Ahem! "Post-processing is a bit of a pain, so I will not permit you to die within my jurisdiction." That's all." Hughes said earning a grumble from Ed and a snicker from Dmitri.

"Yeah, well tell him I said "Roger that. I will not die before you do, Colonel Shit.""

Dmitri pat the top of Ed's head making him frown irritably. "Down boy!"

Hughes busted out laughing, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Ahahaha! Wicked brats are aplenty in the world! You and that bastard Roy ought to have long lives!" Hughes leans in to Ed's face, much to said teens discomfort, and gives the boy a suggestive wink. "Though it seem's you've one upped him on the whole obtaining a wife, huh Fullmetal?"

Ed sputtered, a light dusting of pink coming to his cheeks. "I-I-wha-?!" Dmitri hooked her arm around Ed's shoulders, pulling him into an awkward hug (seeing as she was still leaning out the window and as such was many inches taller then him by now), nuzzling the top of his head while giving Hughes a coy smile and a wink.

"Oh Meas, you tease! You should know there's nothing but good old fashioned friendship between Ed and I!"

Ed growled, grasping the arm that went around his head. "I'm going to bite you..."

Dmitri pulled back enough to put her face right into Ed's, a devilish look in her eyes. "What have I told you about teasing me?"

Ed pulled away, pushing Dmitri back through the train window. His face was beet red from embarrassment, though a small smile was evident on his face making Hughes chuckling knowingly. "Knock it off!" Ed shouted before turning to an amused Hughes with pleading eyes. "I beg of you! Don't leave me alone with these two!" Ed said while holding onto the front of Hughes uniform. Dmitri could be heard cackling like a witch from inside the train just as the whistle goes off. Ed pull's back into the train, checking the time on his pocket watch. 11am; right on time. Hughes salutes them, which they all three reciprocate (though Ed's is left handed for obvious reasons).

"Have a safe trip guys- oh! Lead, I almost forgot!" Dmitri leans out the window again as Hughes reaches into one of his pocket's and pulls out a folded up packet of papers. He hand's them to her, a soft reassuring smile pulling at his lips. "You'll want to read those over when you get the chance. I suggest doing it in private." Hughes said, whispering the last part so that only she could hear. Dmitri's brow furrowed in confusion but she gave a nod, trusting in Hughes' advice. She tucked the papers into her jacket pocket before retaking her seat, ignoring the curious look's being given to her by her cousin and partner. A moment or two later they were well on their way to Resembool.

"This will be the first time that I will meet and Automail mechanic." Armstrong said gaining Ed's attention. Dmitri nodded in agreement; she had never meet one either now that she thought about it.

Ed leaned back in his seat, propping himself up against the window."To be more accurate, she's sort of a surgeon, a prosthetic harnesser and an automail tuner."

Dmitri nodded in understanding, crossing her arm's over her chest as she too settled into her seat. "So she's the whole package in one?" Ed nodded his head. "Sounds like my kind of girl! I can't wait to meet her, Al talks about her non-stop."

"She's an old friend of ours; I know she'll do a good job and cut us deal. Automail isn't cheap and is extremely difficult to make." Ed said, frowning a little when he thought about how pissed off Winry was going to be once he got there. Maybe he could live with only one arm?

Dmitri hummed in agreement, biting her lip a little in thought. "Maybe I should sit in on Winry while she's working on your automail. I know I could never measure up to her expertise in it, but maybe it would be good to learn the basics for quick fixes until we can get to her for full repairs..." Dmitri said absentmindedly. Ed furrowed his brow in thought; Dmitri had a point. What if something happened and he wasn't able to get to Winry right away?

"What sort of place is this Resembool?" Armstrong asked breaking Ed and Dmitri from their thoughts.

Ed shrugged, glancing out the window. "It's an amazing village. Ain't nothing there." Ed said casually, propping elbow on the windowsill and resting his chin on his fist. "Because of the east area civil war, stuff didn't happen there anymore. If the army had done a better job, there might have been more development." A pause followed after Ed's words, a small bead of sweat appearing on Armstrong's forehead.

"... I don't like the sound of that."

Ed deadpanned. "Want me to go on?" Dmitri nodded, kicking Armstrong's shin and giving him a scolding look. "Well, i's a really quiet place..." Ed said, a calm smile coming to his face as he thought back to his old home town and the people that lived there. Would they even recognize him? Would any of his old neighbors still be there? "There's nothing there, but it has a lot of stuff that cities are missing."

Dmitri smiled, bouncing excitedly in her chair. "I for one and excited to go! I've only ever gone to small towns to try and gather information, and I was raised in Eastern, so big city life is really all I know."

Armstrong smiled, catching on to her excitement and making it his own. "Then this should be quite the adventure for us all!"

Ed turned and gave Armstrong an irritable look all of a sudden. "That reminds me; you _did_ put Al on this train, didn't you." Dmitri's eyes widened; she had forgotten to ask again seeing as she was interrupted by Hughes earlier.

Armstrong chuckled, rubbing his chin and smiling triumphantly. "Indeed he is here!" He said dramatically making Dmitri deadpan. "I placed him in the livestock car! The large luggage car seemed so lonely and dark, I figured the sheep on board could keep him company!" Dmitri could practically hear the gears in Ed's head come to a screeching halt as he digested what Armstrong had said.

" _Alexander..._ " Dmitri hissed out, her hands balling into fists.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK MY LITTLE BROTHER WAS!?" Ed exploded, appalled that his little brother was forced to ride as a piece of luggage; worse, as a piece of livestock!

Armstrong looked highly taken aback by Ed's furry. "Why are you not happy! IT'S LARGE, CHEAP AND LIVELY! DOES HE NOT HAVE EVERYTHING HE WOULD WANT?" Armstrong said dramatically.

Ed brandished a fist at him. " **STOP SCREWING AROUND!** " Dmitri stood up and slammed her hands down onto the table top, pinning Armstrong with a dark glare. Ed stopped mid rant, his own face paling in fear at the promise of death in her eyes. Armstrong showed little concern aside from the cold sweat that suddenly beaded his forehead.

"Alexander Louise Armstrong! Do you mean to tell me that you left a _14_ year old boy _alone_ in a _box car_ full of _sheep!?"_ Dmitri asked, leaning closer to her cousin, who was looking more nervous by the second.

"Y-yes...?"

Dmitri's look only darkened making Ed and Armstrong quake in their seats. "The first stop we come to, you are going to get Al and bring him to _this_ booth... do I make myself clear?" Dmitri said in a deadly tone. Armstrong nodded once making Dmitri sigh and sit back down, crossing her arms and legs hotly. "Honestly Alexander, sometimes I wonder what goes through that head of your's..."

Ed and Armstrong glanced at each other nervously, conveying with a single glance 'never piss Dmitri off again'.

* * *

"Oh Alphonse!" Dmitri cried out when Armstrong opened the livestock box car. Al sat in a wooden crate, surrounded by sheep who all seemed interested in licking him. Dmitri jumped into the box car and hugged his head, making Al blush ten shades of red. "I'm _soooooo_ sorry for my cousin's idiocy!" Armstrong reached into the box car and pulled both Al and Dmitri out at the same time, hoisting Al onto his shoulder. Ed twitched as Dmitri continued to wail dramatically, drawing disturbed gazes from all around them.

"Uhh, i-it's ok Demi, really!"

"AND LOOK AT THE WHEEL'S ON THIS CART!" Dmitri said making Ed, Al and Armstrong glance down at the wheel's. They looked like standard box car wheel's to them. "Such a rough ride..." Dmitri pulled Al's helmet back, checking on the crack that had been so dangerously close to Al's blood seal. It didn't look like it had gotten any closer to the seal making Dmitri let out a sigh of relief. "Every bump in the road made my heart stop! We'll be sure to bring you with us on the passenger cart when we leave again, ok?" Al merely nodded in agreement after Dmitri replaced his helmet and jumped down to the ground.

Ed rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I didn't even think about the damage reaching his seal..." Ed said worriedly. "Sorry Al..."

"It's ok brother! I never thought about it either until Demi brought it up during our fight against Scar." Al said as Dmitri, Ed and Armstrong started walking down the station platform. They had a few hours to kill until the next train left for Resembool and had decided to stretch their legs out a little bit. "She's been keeping a close eye on it for me since I can't see it for myself..."

Dmitri chuckled and pat Ed's shoulder. "Don't worry about it Ed; you had something a little more dangerous happening at the time. Or have you forgotten the mad man who was about to blow your brain u-!" Dmitri paused as she suddenly bumped into a villager, nearly knocking the two of them over. Ed grabbed her shoulder to keep her steady, giving the other person a slightly irritated look. "AH! My bad! I wasn't watching where I was walking."

The villager, a man who looked to be pushing sixty, smiled gently and shook his head. "No, no- I'm the one who should apologize; this is what I get for reading while I wal-"

"Dr. Marcoh?!" Armstrong suddenly said, making the villager look his way for the first time. A look of confusion and then recognition filtered across his face before it took on a look of pure horror. " Are you not Dr. Marcoh!? It's me, Alex Louis Armstrong from Central!"

Dmitri and Ed glanced between Armstrong and this so called doctor, who looked terrified. "Umm... Alexander? Do you know this man-?!" The alleged doctor suddenly turned tail and ran with all his might in the direction he had been originally heading. "He's... fast for a old man..." Dmitri said with a sweat-drop. Ed nodded while Armstrong sighed.

"You know him?" Ed inquired to Armstrong who nodded in answer.

"Yes, he is a very capable alchemist from an alchemic research agency of central. He took part in research to use alchemy for medical purposes, but disappeared after the civil war..." Ed frowned a bit before huffing and turning on his heel, heading off in the same direction as Dr. Marcoh.

"Ed?" Dmitri asked him as she jogged after him leaving Armstrong to trail behind a bit. "What's up?"

"I'm going to have a word with the good Doctor of course." Ed said as they exited the platform. "If that guy was part of the research division in Central, he might know something about biological transmutation." Ed said making Dmitri frown, but nod.

"We'll have to ask around for him; he's long gone by now..." Dmitri said thoughtfully. She stopped suddenly making Armstrong nearly slam into her back. She looked over her shoulder at the train they had just exited, the hair on the back of her neck standing on end. She could feel eyes on her but... the platform was empty aside from a few strangers who where just retrieving their luggage.

"Dmitri?" Armstrong said making Ed stop and glance over his shoulder.

"Hey, what's up Dmitri?" He asked curiously making Dmitri shake her head and turn back to their small mission.

"It's nothing..." She said uncertainly. Ed quirked a brow at her, not believing her for a moment but decided to leave it alone. Ed turned and started walking again with Dmitri and Armstrong (who was still carrying Al on his shoulder) trailing a little behind him. Dmitri glanced over her shoulder again, the feeling of being watched fading away the further they got from the train station. Maybe she had imagined it... with a flick of her wrist she pulled the hood of the black jacket up, covering her head and face from all that they passed. Armstrong frowned when he saw her actions; something had shaken her up, and that didn't sit well with him.

"Let us get our search under way! We should not linger to long, or risk missing our train!" Armstrong said enthusiastically making Ed smirk. Armstrong stopped by a group of villagers, setting Al down on the ground as Ed approached them asking about Marcoh. Dmitri hung back by Al, leaning against the side of his crate, her eyes darting around edgily.

"Hey there, did you see someone that passed by earlier...erm..." Ed scratched the side of his neck, unsure of how to go about asking about the elusive doctor. Armstrong suddenly appeared at his side, holding up a sketch book with a _very_ life like portrait of Dr. Marcoh drawn on one of it's pages. Ed stared at the image insidiously, his mouth hanging open in shock.

"Did this elderly man pass by?" Armstrong asked while showing the villagers the portrait. They all inspected it, recognition lighting up their faces with wide smiles.

"Y-you're sure good at drawing Major Armstrong..." Ed mumbles out as the villages pass the image around themselves. Armstrong held his head nobly, pride shinning across his shoulders and face.

"This is the artistry that has been passed down from generation to generation of the Armstrong family!" Armstrong turned then towards Dmitri who gave him a dead panned look. "Why, even my estranged, sweet innocent little cousin has talent; her expertise far outshines my own!"

Dmitri sighed when Ed and Al gave her shocked looks. "Alexander..." She said in exasperation.

"Oh, that's Dr. Maulo!" One the the villagers said making the others nod. Armstrong and Ed gave the villagers slightly confused looks.

"Maulo?" Armstrong questioned under his breath. The villagers wen't on to describe all the good their Dr. Maulo has done for their poor town.

"As you can see, everyone's poor in this town. We don't have money to get any doctors, but Dr. Maulo said he doesn't care about any of that." A man in his mid thirties said making the other villagers nod once again. " He's a good man! He won't abandon a patient no matter what, and even takes on patients that everyone thinks have absolutely no chance of being saved."

Another man chimed in then, slapping his right leg vigorously. "When my leg got caught up in a tractor and it looked like I was a goner, he fixed it up just like new!" He said making Ed and gang's eyes widen in shock. Accidents like that in a town like this would spell amputation, if not even death. "It was quite a spectacle; when he healed me, I thought there was this bright flash and then, poof! My leg was good as new!"

Ed glanced over his shoulder at Dmitri who shrugged her shoulders; she had never dealt with medical alchemy aside from her hip, and she wasn't really sure how her doctor had managed _that_. "Do you know where we can find him? You see, he's an old pal of ours; we'd like to pay him a visit before we leave on our next train." Dmitri said gaining the attention of the villagers. The middle aged man smiled and nodded.

"Sure do little lady!" Dmitri frowned; she wasn't _that_ small... "What you wanna do..."

* * *

After following the villagers directions, the four travelers found themselves standing bellow a set of stone stairs that lead up to second floor apartment of a stone building. "This must be it..." Ed mumbled as they made their way up the stairs. "So why did he run away? And what's with this fake name?" Ed asked Armstrong who shrugged his shoulders.

"When the doctor disappeared, I head that some important classified files also disappeared. There was a rumor that the doctor stole them." Armstrong said making Dmitri nod her head.

"He must have thought that we were agents of the research agency." She said. Armstrong nodded his head in agreement as they came to the door. Ed reached out and knocked on the door, surprised when it creaked open upon touch.

"Um... hello-!?" Dmitri knocked Ed's feet out from under him and struck out, pushing the revolver, which had been aimed at Ed's head, up towards the sky just as the trigger was pulled. With quick movements Dmitri was able to take the gun away from Dr. Marcoh, pointing it at him cocked and ready. "W-what the hell!" Ed shouted, still recovering from his shock as he pushed himself up off the ground.

Dr. Marcoh held his hands up, his whole body shaking with fear as Dmitri pushed her way into the small apartment with a blank face, her eyes promising death if Marcoh should make the wrong move again. "W-WHAT DO YOU W-WANT?! What did you come here for!?" Armstrong, who was still carrying Al, raised a reassuring hand in an attempt to defuse the situation.

"Please calm down, doctor." He said making Marcoh shake even harder.

" _Did you come to take me back?!_ " Marcoh shouted, taking a small step away from them. "I-I don't want to go back there! Please! Just let me be...!"

"That's not true. Please listen to what I have to say." Armstrong said in a slightly louder voice.

"T-THEN- DID YOU COME HERE TO SILENCE ME BY KILLING ME!?" Marcoh asked, pointing at Dmitri who was still aiming his own gun at him. "Did you bring this assassin to do me in?!" Dmitri frowned.

"You attempted to shoot my partner point blank with no warning..." she said blandly making Marcoh's breath hitch. "Maybe I should shoot you..." Armstrong sighed, his shoulder slumping.

"Lead, perhaps you should put the gun down so we can discuss this civilly-"

"I WON'T BE FOOLED! YOU'RE HERE TO KILL M-!?" Armstrong suddenly threw Al and his crate at Marcoh, knocking him to the ground. Ed watched all of this with horror on his face.

" **I said to calm down!** " Armstrong growled out making Ed and Al break out into a cold sweat despite the tone being aimed elsewhere. As goofy as he was, Major Armstrong was still a very intimidating man. "Lead, put the gun down."

Dmitri scoffed and opened the chamber, showing it to be empty. "Like I could do any damage anyways. He was ignorant and sought to take us all on with a single shot..." she said, tossing the gun onto the small kitchen table that sat behind Marcoh's twitching form. "And did you _have_ to use Al as a projectile? What if his armor cracked more?!"

"Yeah, no shit!" Ed shouted as him and Dmitri dragged Al off of Marcoh before helping the doctor to his feet. "Now, Dr. Marcoh... we have a few questions to ask you..."

* * *

"I couldn't bare to do it..." Marcoh said, holding his head in his hands. They had managed to get him to sit at the kitchen table with them. Dmitri was making them all some relaxing tea in an effort to calm the good doctors nerves. "Even thoug it was an order from above, to be made to dirty my hands on it, I..." Dmitri glanced over her shoulder as she pulled a couple cups from the shelf. "And then it was used at the east area civil war as a tool for mass murder..." Dmitri places the cups on the table, pouring Dr. Marcoh a gracious amount earning a small nod of thanks from the doctor as he took a few small sips from the the steaming cup. Dmitri served Armstrong and Ed before sitting between Ed and Al.

"From what I heard through my line of work, the battles fought where truly horrendous." Dmitri said as she prepared her own tea. Marcoh nodded, folding his hands together around his steaming cup of tea.

"Indeed... there were far to many innocent bystanders who were killed..." Ed fingered the edge of his cup, a deep frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. Dmitri placed a reassuring hand on the top of Al's head as he let out a surprised gasp. "What I have done... I cannot atone for by simply taking my life. So, in an attempt to wash away my guilt I travel from town to town acting as a doctor until it is no longer safe. If I stay in one place for to long... who know what calamity I could bring down upon these poor people." Armstrong set his tea down, fixing Dr. Marcoh with an insistent stare.

"Just what did you research? The documents you took with you... what were they?" Marcoh set his head in his hands once again, a look of pure agony coming over his face.

"I... I made the philosopher's stone." Marcoh said. Everyone in the room gasped in shock. Ed's eyes grew wide as the incredibility of his words sank in. "The research files and a single stone are what I took with me."

"Y-you have a stone?!" Ed practically shouted.

Marcoh sighed and stood from the table, walking over to a cabinet and opening it's glass door. "Yes..." He reached deep into the back of the cabinet, pulling out a single vial with what looked to be a red liquid inside of it. "It's in here..." Marcoh uncapped the vial making the red liquid inside it swish around.

"A stone... but, it's liqu-" Marcoh poured the red liquid out onto the table where it seemed to solidify into a perfectly smooth stone much to Ed and other's surprise. He reached out and poked it tentatively, startling when it rippled; it was still very much a liquid.

"The philosophers stone, the celestial stone, the great elixir, the red tincture, the fifth element..." Dmitri said curiously as she too reached out and touched the stone, poking it many times to prove that it was indeed still soft. "Of course... just as the philosophers stone has many names... it only makes sense that it should have many different forms."

"Yes. However, they remained experimental creations up until the end. Imperfect objects that will eventually reach their limitations and become unusable." Marcoh said as he ushered the strange liquid back into its vial. "And yet, they were used secretly during the civil war, and their overwhelming power was demonstrated."

Ed seemed to get lost in thought for a moment before he smirked. "Even though you're saying they're an imperfect creation, making it means that with further research, we might be able to produce a perfect one..." He said with barely restrained excitement. "Mr. Marcoh, can you show me the research files you took!?"

"W-what?" Dr. Marcoh said in surprise before turning to Armstrong. "What- Major Armstrong, who are these children?"

"National Alchemist's."

Marcoh sighed, laying his head in his hands. "Does their depravity have no end? Children... to obtain enormous research funding. You were probably lured in by its privileges and obtained a license. What foolishness!" Marcoh said earning a heated glare from Dmitri. "After the civil war, how many practitioners do you think there were that couldn't bare to remain being human weapons and relinquished their licenses!? And yet, you still-"

"I know it was a stupid decision!" Ed shouted, cutting in to Marcoh's rant. "But Until I accomplish my objectives, I'm going to have to continue to sit on this bed of thorns!" Ed unconsciously held onto his right shoulder. Dmitri placed a hand on Ed's other shoulder and Al's head, her glare just as intense as Ed's as she addressed Marcoh.

"With all due respect doctor, you know _nothing_ of why any of us chose the path's we are on. So I would appreciate it if you didn't judge us as you would your average children." Marcoh seemed a little taken aback by Dmitri's hard tone, his eyes moving between the three of them speculatively.

"... So... you ignored the ban..." he said after a moment making all three teen's tense up. "I was surprised. I didn't believe it possible to transmute the soul of a particular person... you might be able to create a perfect philosophers stone." He said solemnly.

"So, you'll show us the research?" Dmitri asked.

Marcoh stood and moved to put the vial back in it's original home. "No. I cannot show you the files."

"What?! But you just said-"

Marcoh interrupted Ed's rant with a hard, dominating stare. "This the end of the discussion. Go home. I cannot let you have the stone," Marcoh stared directly at Dmitri. "I don't know what _you_ want with it young lady as you somehow managed to escape your own attempt to play god unscathed but as for you two boys, to use the stone for something as minor as restoring your bodies-"

Ed jumped up so fast his chair fell over behind him, his hand slamming down on the table knocking his tea cup from the table. " _Minor!?_ "Armstrong reached out to grab Ed's shoulder, hoping to stop the boy from losing his temper and doing something irrational.

Dmitri stood along side Ed, her hands balled into fists at her side. "You really are ignorant aren't you?! I came out unscathed because I wasn't the one who performed-"

"Dmitria." Armstrong growled out making Dmitri go stock still. Ed and Al stared at her with wide eyes. Dmitri took a deep breath and a step back, trying hard to calm her nerves. A stiff silence fell over the room.

"... It is better if you didn't see it." Marcoh said after a moment, breaking the tense silence. "That's the research of the devil. Once you know about it... you'll see the very face of hell." Dmitri shuddered as a blank white face with gleaming teeth flashed across her memory. Yeah, who would have thought that the face of hell would be so empty...

"... we've already seen hell, doctor." Dmitri said in a deathly quite voice. "We all saw it a long time ago! And we are forced to see it, to relive it every single day!" Another stiff silence filled the room.

"... I can't. Please... go home." Marcoh said making Ed grind his teeth. He moved to speak again but was stopped by a soft hand pulling at his shoulder. He looked over said shoulder to see Dmitri who shook her head at him with a frown.

"... very well... let's go boys. We are cutting it close with the train." Dmitri said. Ed huffed and reluctantly complied, heading for the front door at a brisk pace. Armstrong scooped Al up off the floor and followed after Ed. Dmitri held the door open for Ed and Armstrong, pausing in the door way as she went to leave and glancing over her shoulder at Marcoh's back. "...thank you for your time doctor. We appreciate all you were able to tell us..." She said solemnly before exiting the apartment and closing the door behind her. When the latch clicked Marcoh twitched, a tight frown falling onto his mouth.

* * *

Ed, Armstrong and Dmitri all sat at the train station awaiting their next train that would take them to Resembool. Ed and Armstrong sat on a bench while Dmitri leaned against Al's crate, playing with her hair absentmindedly. She had been exaggerating a bit when she said they were running late with the train, but she knew for a fact that if they had stayed, Ed would have punched that man. And she knew that she wouldn't have stopped him.

"Is this really fine with you?" Armstrong asked drawing all three teen's attentions to him.

"Huh...?" Ed said.

"While you wouldn't have been able to see the files, you could have quickly taken the stone by force..."

"Hell yeah... I really, _really_ , wanted it!" Ed said irritably. "But... then I remembered the people we met on the way to Dr. Marcoh's house. Even if we restored our bodies by robbing this town of its life support, it'd just leave a nasty aftertaste." Ed grimaced at the thought.

Dmitri laughed then, looping her arms around Ed's shoulders from behind the bench much to his embarrassment. "We'll just have to keep our eyes and ears open for another way then, right?" She asked him and Al. Ed sighed and nodded while Al answered with an enthusiastic 'yep'. Dmitri stood straight then, leaving her hands to rest gently on Ed's shoulders. "But are you alright with this Alexander? You didn't report on Dr. Marcoh..." Ed and Al both looked expectantly at Armstrong who simply nodded his head.

"The man I met today was only a town doctor name Maulo." Dmitri smiled a little, proud of her cousin's sense of justice. It was one of the reasons she adored him above all others in her family...

Ed smiled and let out a little chuckle. "Gonna have to start from scratch again." He said as he leaned his head back to stare up at the sky. "Man, this is a really long road." Dmitri and Al hummed in agreement, with Dmitri leaning over a little so she could look down on Ed's face, a few stray strands of her hair falling loose from her braid and tickling his forehead.

"But at least we have each other, right?"

Ed brushed the stray hairs off his forehead, a small smile pulling at his mouth. "Yeah..." Armstrong's brow ticked a little while Al giggled at the small display of affection. Armstrong opened his mouth as if to speak only to be interrupted by a shout.

"Hey!" Ed and Dmitri broke eye contact to see who had shouted only to see a winded Marcoh making his way onto the platform. Ed and Armstrong stood as Marcoh made his way over to them, handing Ed an envelope. "This... is the place where the research files are hidden. Look inside this envelope, if you won't regret knowing the truth... and if it's you, you will uncover the truth behind the truth." Ed gave him a questioning look to which Marcoh shook his head. "No. I've already said to much. And I am sorry... for being blind to your reasons." Marcoh looked directly at Dmitri when he said this making her smile and wave her hand at him.

"Thank you Dr. Marcoh; for everything." Dmitri said with a slight bow. "We should have tea again the next time we see each other."

Marcoh smiled a little and nodded. "Of course..." he turned then, waving over his shoulder. "I pray that you will restore yourselves to how you once were one day." Armstrong sniffled, tears running down his cheeks as he gave Marcoh's back a strong salute. Ed bowed in thanks, staying that way for a moment before straightening himself once more a smile stretched over his lips.

* * *

An hour or so later found Dmitri, Ed, Armstrong and Al sitting on a train headed for Resembool. They took up two whole benches in order to fit Al, but there weren't to many people present on the train. Ed was currently sleeping in the booth with his brother while Dmitri and Armstrong occupied the second booth. Dmitri stared out the window, her fingers drumming on the table top that separated herself and Armstrong... _Central library, huh?... hiding a tree in a forest... Marcoh couldn't have picked a better hiding spot-_

"Dmitri?" Armstrong said, suddenly breaking Dmitri from her thoughts. "About these travel arrangements..." Dmitri sighed, slumping into her seat. She knew this was coming- "You know we need to discuss this. I'm not sure how I feel about you traveling alone with these two boys. It seem's they are getting involved with some strange, and potentially dangerous things."

"Alexander, I am traveling with them under orders from Roy."

Armstrong crossed his arms over his chest. "Its just... your interactions with Fullmetal..."

Dmitri's shoulders went ridged. "Their nothing." Dmitri said in a clipped voice making Armstrong's brows raise in surprise.

"You're getting defensive, so forgive me for not believing you..." Dmitri stayed silent, her eyes fixated to the passing scenery. Armstrong let out a long sigh. "You can say that it's nothing... but I saw the look in both your eyes earlier at the station." Again Dmitri left him in silence making him frown. "Perhaps I _am_ reading to much into things-"

"You are."

"-But you seem to be... changing because of them. You're relaxed around them; more so then you ever where with your own family."

Dmitri let out a long breath, her eyes softening as they slid from the view outside to the top of the table lazily. "...I can't explain what I- have you ever met someone, that seemed to... make everything alright?" Armstrong sighed, shaking his head with a small smile on his face. "Ed... those two boys... I can't explain what I see in them. It's... just the way they can take me to a place that no one else can. They make me feel... wanted. Needed... like it would matter to them if I disappeared one day."

Armstrong nodded his head. "I see. I am truly envious of you my sweet cousin." Armstrong stood and grabbed Dmitri up in a bone crushing hug. " _TO HAVE FOUND SUCH A PURE LOVE AT YOUR AGE! YOU ARE TRULY BLESSED!_ "

"W-w-what?! WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT LOVE!?" Dmitri shouted, her face fire engine red. Ed woke up from all the commotion, glaring irritably at the two cousins.

"What are you two freaks doing?!" He yelled, gaining their attention. Big mistake on his part as Armstrong dropped Dmitri and grabbed Ed by the front of his coat, pulling him up to Armstrong's full height and staring at him with piercing blue eyes.

"Your oath, Edward Elric!" Ed sputtered in shock.

"W-what the hell!? What are you doing!?"

"Your oath! Swear on your life, or I will not allow this game to go on any longer!"

Ed broke out in a cold sweat. What was this crazy man talking about?! "Umm... what am I swearing to again...?" Armstrong set Ed down before pulling a mortified Dmitri over and shoving her into Ed.

"I wan't your oath, Edward Elric, that you will keep my sweet innocent cousin safe. That you will treat her as she treats you, and that you will _never_ be anything but gentlemanly towards her!"

Ed scrunched up his nose in confusion. "What the hell did I miss while I was sleeping...?" Ed mumbled to Dmitri who was hiding her face behind her hands.

"You don't want to know..." She moaned out making Ed sigh.

"I will not ask you again Fullmetal; if you can not give me your oath, then I will be forced to take Dmitri back to central _with out you._ " Ed growled, pushing Armstrong back enough to put himself between colossal man and Dmitri.

"Like hell you will!" Ed pointed a finger directing in Armstrong's face. "Listen here Major, the only person who is allowed to decide weather or not Dmitri leaves is Dmitri herself! And anybody who thinks otherwise is going to have to answer to me! It'll be a cold day in hell before I ever allow anyone to force Dmitri to do something against her will again!" Armstrong stared down at Ed with wide eyes. Dmitri allowed her hands to fall down from her face, her face pulled into an "O" face as she glanced between the two alchemists.

"Is that your oath, Fullmetal?" Armstrong asked sternly. Ed scowled.

"FINE! I swear, ok?!" Ed said while throwing his hands up in the air. "I promise; so long as Dmitri is by my side, I'll do everything within my power to protect her! Like she even needs it, she's stronger then most people could ever hope to be! But just know that that includes protecting her from you, or anyone else who thinks they rule over her, you got that!" Armstrong and Ed stared each other down for a long time, neither one willing to back down first. But then Armstrong laughed and claped Ed on his shoulder.

"Congratulations Edward Elric! Your oath has been accepted! You are now free to date my cousin!" Armstrong said before sniffling and grabbing a shocked Ed up in a hug. "MY SWEET, INNOCENT COUSIN HAS HER FIRST BOYFRIEND! I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SEE THIS DAY!"

"Alexander!" Dmitri said in mortification. Al was laughing right out at the terrified look on Ed's face.

"W-what?! WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST AGREE TO!?"


	11. I'll Be In Resembool Afore Ye

"This is Resembool?" Dmitri asked as they exited the train, her bag tossed leisurely over her shoulder as she looked around the small town from the rickety wooden train platform. It was very small compared to Eastern City, with the edge of town visible from her vantage point. The majority of the town looked to be made up of mom and pop stores, were the lower level was the shop and the upper two levels were the living quarters of the people who owned said shop. Children ran through the street's, playing tag while dodging between the few people that were looking at the home made wares. "...I love it!" Dmitri said, smiling over her shoulder as Ed and Alexander exited the train with Al sitting upon Alexanders shoulder. Ed's cheeks dusted a soft shade of pink at her enthusiasm while Al chuckled. "You were right Ed, this place _is_ amazing. Is your home somewhere in town?" Dmitri asked, turning away before an uncomfortable grimace flashed over Ed's face.

"No, Granny Pinako and Winry live out side of town; it's an hour's walk from here." Al said in a false cheerful voice. Dmitri nodded as Ed walked around her to lead the way to Pinko's shop. They walked in silence for a while, a few friendly faces waving and smiling here and there in recognition of Ed and Al. Ed would wave back with a cheesy grin, but didn't stop to make small talk.

Dmitri looked every which way, trying to take in as much of the small town as she could. There seemed to be much more to Resembool then she originally believed, with tiny shops and homes smashed into what must have been ally way's at one point. The people there all seemed to be happy and friendly, and everyone seemed to know everyone else. The street's were busy, but not in a way that made them feel packed with people; it was more the energy in the air it's self that made exciting goose bumps rise over Dmitri's arms and legs. A gentle breeze drifted through the town, mixing together the delightful smell's of the local bakeries and restaurants, who's door's were all open in welcome to any passer by. Children weaved between the busy shop keepers and shoppers alike, calling out to each other as they terrorized the baker man (all in good fun of course).

"Hey," Ed grabbed her shoulder, making her turn down another street that seemed to lead to a more residential part of the town. "Don't space out to much; just cause this place is small doesn't mean you couldn't get lost in it."

Dmitri felt a tiny blush crop up and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Sorry, this place is just so... peaceful." Dmitri looked around her once again, enjoying the homey atmosphere that seemed to resonate through the streets.

"Yep, good old Resembool." Ed said with an appreciative tone.

"It hasn't changed a bit, huh brother." Al said from inside his box.

"Nope!"

* * *

"By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes, where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond~~" Alexander sang boisterously as they walked the dirt path over the top of one of the rolling hill's of Resembool's farm land. "Me and my true love were ever wont to gae, on the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond~~"

"Oh Ye'll tak' the high road and I'll tak' the low road, and I'll be in Resembool afore ye~~" Dmirit followed after him making Ed and Alexander smile. "But me and my true love will never meet again, on the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond~~"

"What's that song about?" AL asked from his box atop Alexanders shoulder.

"It is an old folk song that has been passed through the Armstrong Family for generations!" Alexander said proudly.

Dmitri rolled her eyes. "Dramatic and vague as always." She said in a half teasing tone making the three men chuckle a little. "But he is right; it's a song that everyone in the Armstrong family is taught at an early age. It's actually kind of sad; it's a song about two lover's who have planned to run away together. But before the man can make it, he is arrested and sentenced to death for crimes against the state. His cell mate is to be set free, and this song is the death row inmates story that he tell's to his cell mate."

"That's... awful." Al said sadly. Dmitri nod's her head in agreement. "Why would your family teach you such a thing?"

"It may sound cruel to others, but it is our families way of preparing us for the inevitability of death." Alexander said gravely. "Most of the Armstrong Family have been, or are currently serving in the military. As you boy's know, it is a dangerous job, one that requires many sacrifices; sometimes even your own life. "And I'll be homestead afore ye"- it is meant to teach us that no matter were or how we die, our soul's will find their way back home to our families side. It teaches us not to fear death, as it is the one sure way to make it back home, even if only in spirit."

"'Twas there that we parted in yon shady glen, on the steep, steep side of Ben Lomond. Where in the purple hue the highland hill's we view, and the moon coming out in the gloamin'~~" Dmitri sang again, a small smile on her face as a large yellow house came into view. "The wee birdies sing and the wild flowers spring, and in sunshine the waters are sleeping. But the broken heart it kens nae second spring again, and the waeful may cease frae their greetin'~~"

Ed chuckled a little as the sound of an excitedly barking dog met their ears. "So what rode are we on now?" He asked as they drew nearer to the house.

"We're still on the high road." Dmitri answered as a black and white dot came racing down the path towards them, the medium sized dogs auto mail left front leg glinting in the sun. She could make out a small figure standing just inside the property line, their arms folded behind their back.

"That's good to hear." Al said as Ed greeted what was now visible as a tiny old woman. Dmitri nodded as they crossed the property line.

"Hey Granny!" Ed said joyously. "I'm gonna need your help again."

The old woman walked up to them, a smile on her face and pipe in her hand. Dmitri was shocked to see that she was tiny, barely coming up to Ed's shoulder, and only just reaching Dmitri's nose. Her hair was a faded grey and pulled into a stubby ponytail at the crown of her head, and spectacles sat on her tiny nose, obscuring a clear view of her beady eyes.

"This is Major Armstrong," Ed said as Alexander set Al's crate down on the ground. Pinako shook Alexanders hand briefly before turning to Dmitri. "And this is Major... Armstrong as well?" Ed scratched the back of his head, a confused look coming to his face. He had forgotten how confusing it was going to be with _two_ Major Armstrongs to introduce.

"Relax Ed; it's very nice to meet you Pinako." Dmitri shook hands with Pinako giving her a crooked grin. "I don't care much for rank and all that jazz, so you can call me Dmitri."

Pinako smiled around her pipe. "It's very nice to meet you two; thank you for putting up with Ed." Pinako said, giving Ed the stink eye over her shoulder. Ed fumed, his left brow twitching in annoyance.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He grumbled out.

Pinako glanced between him and Alexander, her brow quirking in speculation. "Hmmm... is it just me, or since the last I saw you, Ed... you've gotten smaller."

"WHO YOU CALLING "SMALL" YOU HALF-PINT HAG?!" Ed shouted in out rage. Pinako's brow twitched as her and Ed got into each other's face, spewing out height insults at rapid speeds.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME YOU LITTLE RUNT?!"

"YOU HEARD ME YOU GUPPY GEEZER!"

"CHIBI-CHUMP!"

"MICRO-MINI GRANNY!"

Dmitri glanced between the two of them, taking a tentative step back as their tempers seemed to flare higher and higher. "Uuuhhhh..." She glanced down at Al who didn't seem the least bit worried.

"Don't worry, this is normal for them." Al said with a chuckle. "Winry should be by any moment to break them up-"

"HEY ED!" A voice shouted from the direction of the house. Everyone turned just in time to see a wrench come flying through the air and make a solid hit directly in the middle of Ed's skull, knocking him to the ground with a pained shout. "How many times do I have to tell you to _call_ before you come in for maintenance!"

Dmitri instantly named the girl who had thrown the wrench as Winry. She had long blonde hair that was pulled up into a messy high ponytail with a red bandanna tied over the top of her head that was (unsuccessfully) holding her bangs back. She was clad in a black strapless belly shirt and a pair of light colored mechanic coverall's, with the upper half tied by the sleeves around her waist. Light cow hide gloves, which looked to be about a size to big, adorned her hands and a grease stained towel was draped over her bare shoulders.

"WINRY, YOU JERK!" Ed shouted angrily. He had managed to push himself back up to his feet and was rubbing a large red welt that was rapidly growing in size. "You coulda killed me!"

Dmitri picked up the wrench and examined it. "And with a wrench from that distance." She said approvingly, holding the wrench up and pointing it at Ed's face like a pool que. "Maybe I should take some pointers on Winry's technique..."

Ed glared heatedly at Dmitri over his shoulder. " _Don't get any funny ideas_..."

Winry laughed at their exchange, all anger having melted off her face. "Welcome back! Hurry up and get in here so I can meet your new girl friend and see what kind of beating is owed to you."

* * *

"WHHAAAAAT?!" Winry cried out when Ed removed his coat to reveal his _entire_ right arm was missing... as in gone. Nothing left but the port. Dmitri picked at her ear, fully believing that Winry's shout of outrage had burst her ear drum.

"Yeah, sorry. It got broken." Ed said in a nonchalant way as Pinako handed out mugs of coffee. Ed cheerfully sipped on his, oblivious to the steaming blonde woman that stood before him, looking as though she was going to burst into tears at any given moment.

"What do you _mean_ broken?! That was my **_masterpiece_**! A state-of-the-art Auto-Mail prosthetic. GAH!" Winry pretended to wrap her hands around Ed's neck, desperate to choke the life out of him. " _Just let me see it so I can fix it an get you out of here_!"

"Yeah, about that..." Ed said with a cheerful smile. "When I said "broken" what I meant was...uhh..."

"Smashed to pieces?" Dmitri supplied for him from her safe spot next to Al.

Ed smiled a nodded. "YUP! That's right, smashed to-AHH!" Winry hit Ed upside the head with a monkey wrench, making him nearly fall off the bench he was sitting on.

"8.5; lost almost two points for not knocking him off or making him spill his coffee." Dmitri said from the other side of the room, holding up a crudely drawn score card.

Ed glared at her from across the room. "Who's side are you on?!"

"The woman holding the wrench; I'd rather not suffer permanent brain damage today." Dmitri said earning a laugh from Al while Ed sulked.

" _AND_ you broke Al?!" Winry scolded Ed as she came up to Al's crate and looked him over. Al chuckled nervously, while Dmitri slinked away in an attempt to stay out of the rampaging blondes path. "What kind of _lifestyle_ do you two lead?!"


	12. Setting Light

Dmitri stood in the kitchen of the Rockbell house, looking over a bulletin bored of old photo's. She recognized most of the people in the photo's, such as Ed, Pinako and Winry. In some of the photo's of Ed there was another, younger looking boy with dark blonde hair and grey eyes. Dmitri smiled; that must be Al. She skimmed over the images, taking in as much as she could about the boy's lives as children. It seemed even as a child, Ed and Al were always reading. And if they weren't reading, they were exploring and causing mischief. Not much as has changed in that respect.

Dmitri's eyes came to rest on an image of the boy's, huge smiles on their faces as they were hugged from behind by a beautiful young woman. She had a kind face and a gentle smile. The woman's hair was long and medium brown in color, and her eyes were a lovely shade of hazel brown. Dmitri smiled sadly; this had to be their mother... and the person they tried to bring back. It would explain why they had never spoke of her directly... Dmitri shook her head, ridding herself of the depressing thoughts as she turned away from the images. "Where did those boy's run off to anyways..." she mumbled to herself, absentmindedly tucking her hand's into the pocket's of her over sized jacket. The crinkle of paper met her ears, and the folded papers Hues had given to her before they left Eastern were suddenly clasped in her finger tips.

With tentative fingers, Dmitri pulled them out from their hiding place and eyed them wearily. The papers were folded neatly, the crease in them nearly flawless, and their pages looked pristine. But something about them felt tainted to her; she was apprehensive about reading them... but Hues had said to read them as soon as she got the chance, right?

With the boy's missing, Alexander splitting wood for that nights fire and Pinako and Winry busy with Ed's arm and leg, Dmitri realized that she would probably never get the chance to be alone for so long again. At least not until they made it to Central... With a resigned sigh, Dmitri tucked the papers away again, climbing the stairs to the bedrooms above; if she was lucky, she could slip off long enough to read what Hues had given her. A tight knot built up in her stomach; she really didn't want to see what stained the pure white paper that lay like a stone in her pocket.

* * *

"Sheesh... what's with that violent woman?!" Ed asked, still recovering from Winry's last hit with her monkey wrench; all he wanted to know was if she had made any progress on his arm! He shifted his left leg and grimaced when the knee caught on it's self; after some further examinations, Granny Pinako had decided to the height of his leg. Turns out he _had_ grown a little! So take that micro-granny!

Al laughed a little at Ed's huffy tone. "Don't act like your surprised," he said in a teasing, scolding way. "We did show up unexpectedly. If you had called ahead of time, like she _told_ us to, she wouldn't have been in such a bad mood."

Ed scoffed, flopping back onto the grass with his left arm spread out to his side and his fingers curling into the soft grass. "Yeah right, she would have killed me on sight..." Al hummed in response and the two fell into a comfortable silence, reveling in the peaceful atmosphere that came with their home town.

"Winry and Dmitri seem to get along pretty well." Al said in a positive tone, breaking the silence.

Ed snorted, his nose scrunching up in distaste. "Oh great, because _that's_ what we need. For Winry and Dmitri to team up; Dmitri can hold me at gun point while Winry smacks me with a wrench, and you sit in the corner laughing." He said, pouting a little as the mental image floated across his mind. Al laughed again, but didn't say anything to defend the two women, or himself for that matter. If anything, Ed was right; they were probably plotting his older brothers demise that very second. "Three days, huh?" Ed said, pulling Al from his thoughts.

Ed and Al both looked up at the sky, watching the clouds float lazily by. "It's so _boring_ around here; nothing to do..." Ed complained. "There's not even a library."

"Well, thing's have been so rough lately..." Al said tentatively making Ed's previous frown deepen. "Maybe taking it easy's not such a bad thing, right? Especially for Demi..."

Ed grunted and rolled onto his left side, propping his head up on his hand. Memories from the recent months rushed through his mind making him grimace in discomfort. "Yeah, I know your right..." Ed said before letting out a long dramatic sigh, willing the memories to the back of his mind. " _But I'm not the kind of person who takes it easy!_ "

"That's for sure..." Al said with a small laugh. "If your that bored, why don't you go visit mom's grave?"

Ed's face acquired a fare off look, his eyes straying to a particular hilltop where the remnants of a burnt down farm house now sat, it's foundation shaded by a tall oak tree with a swing. "...Visit mom's grave, huh...? But what about you? You're in no condition to go anywhere." Ed said, trying hard to find a reason to _not_ visit his mothers grave. Not that he was scared... it had just been so long...

"I don't wan't to have to ask the Major to carry me, so I'll just stay here." Al said in a reassuring tone. "We're leaving for Central as soon as the Auto-Mail's finished, right? You shouldn't miss this opportunity to go pay your respects."

Ed sighed, a small frown falling on his lips. "You're right..." He was reluctant to go; what right did he have to pay his respects? Let alone to leave Al behind to do so-

"Maybe you could take Demi with you; I bet mom would love to meet her."

Ed sat up and shook his head."Nah, Dmitri _should_ be resting; she's still not fully recovered yet." He said as he pushed himself up onto his right leg, steadying his weight before applying any to the wooden prosthetic. "I'll take her some other time."

"Alright." Al said in agreement as Ed stretched his left arm over his chest.

"I guess I'll head to see mom then; tell Pinako that I'll be home for super."

* * *

Pinako was set up in the main office working on extending Ed's Auto-Mail leg. She had been working diligently for almost five hour's, or so a glance at the clock told her. It was nearly time for her to start cooking dinner...

"Pinako?" Pinako glanced up at the sound of her name to see Dmitri standing in the door way to the office. "Have you seen the boys?" Pinako eyed Dmitri critically, taking in her pale face and blood shot eyes.

"Ed has gone to visit his mothers grave," Pinako said, lighting her pipe as she stood from her task. "And Al is with Winry." Dmitri nodded, sure that she remembered were Winry had disappeared to in order to work on Ed's new arm.

"Alright, thank's Pinako-"

"Hold on." Pinako said, making Dmitri stop mid step. Dmitri looked at Pinako over her shoulder, curious on as to what the old woman would want with her. Pinako motioned for her to enter the office. "Shut the door." Pinako said sternly making Dmitri quirk a brow but comply. Pinako pulled a chair over beside her work station. "Sit." Dmitri frowned, but once again complied; she had seen this old woman hold her own in a shouting match against Ed. Who knew what other strengths she had. "Now... are you going to tell me why you were crying?"

Dmitri opened her mouth, ready to defend herself only to stop short. She didn't really know what she could say to defend herself from the scrutiny of this old woman; the elderly had a knack for seeing thing's that you really wished they wouldn't. Dmitri sighed. "No. Sorry, but I have a strict "don't ask don't tell" policy."

Pinako eyed her with narrowed eyes, puffing heavily on her pipe. "Then can you tell me if it has anything to do with the boys?"

"It is something that they know of, but I-" Dmitri stopped, a deep frown tugging at the corners of her lips. "Pinako, I know we just met today but... can you do something for me?"

"Depends on what it is you want done," Pinako said in a no-nonsense tone. "Please understand that those boys are like grandchildren to me; I will not participate in anything that might bring them grief. They already have enough weight on their shoulders."

Dmitri shook her head, reaching into her jacket pocket and producing the folded papers she had gotten from Hues. The pure white paper was now tear stained and torn in places from being held to tightly in her hands. "I promise, what I'm asking of you won't hurt them. If anything, it will give all three of us time to heal..." Dmitri handed the folded pages to Pinako who eyed them wearily. "I need you to hold onto these for me... until we are ready."

"What are they?"

Dmitri bit her lip, shaking her head. "Something that Ed and Al don't need to know about; they don't concern the boy's specifically, and I'm not ready to show them to anyone. I just need these papers kept safe." Pinako looked skeptical as she fingered the edges of the folded pages. "If you must know what is in them, I ask that you read them once we have left and that you keep their contents a secrete."

* * *

"KNOCK KNOCK!" Al and Winry looked up from their conversation to see Dmitri standing in the door way, two cups of steaming coffee in hand. "I figured you could use a pick me up Winry."

"Oh, your so thoughtful!" Winry said as she accepted the cup and took a sip from it, her eyes widening in surprise at the sweet flavor that coated her tongue. "WOW! This is so good! Normally Granny just makes it black!"

"Yeah, I'm used to making my coffee sweet, so I guess I got a little carried away." Dmitri said as she leaned against the wall next to Al. "Though that explains why Ed only drinks his black." She grimaced at the thought; coffee was so bitter, she didn't know how anyone could stand to drink it with _nothing_ added.

Winry downed the rest of her's, the sweet cream in it making it cool enough to do so with out hurting herself. "Well what ever you did, you better right it down, cause I don't think I could drink black coffee after that!"

Dmitri scratched her cheek, feeling a little silly to be having this conversation. "It's just coffee..." she said sheepishly. Winry giggled and returned to her work, polishing what looked to be the outer plate of Ed's new forearm. "How's your day been Al? You been keeping busy?" Dmitri asked him.

Al nodded his head. "Yeah, I've been spending all day with Winry; it's always interesting to see her put together someones Auto-Mail." Al said with excitement clear in his voice. "You wanted to watch too, right?"

Dmitri nodded in affirmation. "Yeah; I thought I would be good to see the basics of the machinery, so if Ed ever broke his arm again I could at least try and keep it from falling off."

Winry placed a finger to her chin, her lower lip jutting out in thought. "You know, that's a really good idea; god know's I can't always just drop everything, and Ed can't _always_ get here right away. I think it would be great if you learned the basics!" Winry said, her eyes gleaming with delight at the thought of someone else being interested in her creations. "It's like haveing an apprentice of my very own!"

Dmitri and Al secretly laughed at her enthusiasm as Winry go lost in dream land over the thought of teaching Dmitri. "Well, if it's alright with you, I'd like to sit in on some of the processes of constructing Ed's arm." Dmitri said to Winry, pulling her from her fantasies.

"Of course I don't mind! I'll try and keep it to the basics, but sometimes I can get a _little_ carried away-"

"A little?" A voice said from the hall. They all turned to see Ed standing in the door way, a teasing sneer on his face. "More like completely carried away, gear head."

Winry growled, taking aim with a spare wrench and throwing it at him, though Ed was able to dodge this time. "SHUT UP EDWARD! I'm still mad a hell about what you did to my precious baby!"

"GAH! You don't just throw wrenches at people!" Ed whined. "And it's not like I destroyed it on _intentionally_!"

"Grrrr, what ever! Get out!" Winry shouted, brandishing another wrench which made Ed duck out of the door way. When he didn't come back, Winry sighed and set the wrench down, turning angry eyes onto Al and Dmitri who both gulped in unison. "So, either one of you willing to tell me exactly _how_ he broke my masterpiece?"

"Uhhhh... I think I hear Alexander calling me!" Dmitri said, bolting from the room with Al shouting after her.

"AHH! DMITRI, DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!"

* * *

Dmitri burst from the front door only to nearly toss both herself and Ed down the front steps when she knocked into him. Luckily, she was able to grab hold of him and steady them before they wound up a crippled mess. "OPPS! Sorry Ed!"

Ed relaxed his death grip on the railing with an irritated grunt, giving Dmitri a rather annoyed look. "Jeeze! You _trying_ to kill us?! What's the big rush for anyways?"

Dmitri gave him a terrified look. "Winry... she tried to corner Al and I." She said making Ed grimace in terror. "I barely made it out with all my brain cells! MY BRAIN CELL'S ED!" Dmitri grabbed his shoulders and shook him a little, nearly making them fall over.

"What?! You left Al up there with her?!" Ed exclaimed.

"Every man for himself..." Dmitri said in a dead panned voice making Ed sigh in exasperation.

"My poor, defenseless little brother... he will be missed."

"Indeed." Dmitri walked around him and down the stairs, plopping down onto the grass near the main walk. Ed followed suit, though he was far less graceful with his landing, nearly falling onto his right side if Dmitri hadn't grabbed hold of his left arm to hold him up. "Hahaha, you have the balance of a drunk person when you're missing your arm."

Ed scowled at her, and pushed Dmitri with his left hand knocking her over onto her side eliciting a boisterous laugh from her. "Hey, it's not funny! Maybe _you_ should try getting around with only one arm and see how _you_ like it!" Ed said irritably as Dmitri pushed herself back up, wiping away the joyous tears that had gathered in the corner of her eyes.

"Nah, it was bad enough trying to get around with only one usable leg after my hip was replaced," she said while patting said hip in an affectionate way. "I'll never take walking for granted again."

Ed's brow furrowed in confusion. "I still don't understand how that's possible; how do you do maintenance to it? Shouldn't it be rusting or something?"

"Nah, it's a compound called titanium; it's rust prof and what not. They gave me specifics, but I didn't care to listen much at the time..." Dmitri trailed off, not wanting to remember exactly _why_ she had a metal hip. "But it hurts like crazy when it's cold outside. The Titanium absorbs cold faster then the tissue around it, and the cold makes the rest of my joint and tissues ache."

Ed frowns and subconsciously reaches for his right shoulder. "Yeah, I understand that all to well. It probably hurts when it rains too, right?" Dmitri nod's, grimacing at the memories of her first year with her new hip; any change in the weather always made her completely useless, the pain so great that she could hardly move let alone walk. "Just another reason to get our bodies fixed."

"Hell to the yes! Though I don't think I would want to fix mine." Dmitri said making Ed's eyes widen in shock.

"Why the hell not?"

Dmitri shrugged in response, leaning back onto her arms and looking up at the sky. "While I will admit it can be a pain in the ass, it's also something that represents a part of me; if not for the events that lead up to my fake hip, I wouldn't be the same person I am today." She said.

Ed's face fell into one of contemplation, a strange emotion shooting through his eyes so fast that Dmitri couldn't catch it in time. "Yeah, I guess that's true... I'm not gonna lie, it comes in handy that I cant feel any pain in my arm or leg. It allows me to get away with a lot more, and take hits that could shatter bone." Ed said with a muted smile. "But even if I can't get _my_ body back to the way it was, I have to keep searching for Al's sake..." Dmitri look's over at him and sighs, reaching over with both hand's and pinching his cheeks much to his annoyance. "What the hell- STOP IT WITH THE DAMN CHEEKS!"

Dmitri laughs at him as she forces his face into a strange half smile half scowl look. "I told you before that if you keep making these faces, your cute baby face will get stuck like that!" Ed's cheeks bloomed a bright shade of red, making him curse and sputter incoherent sentences. Dmitri releases his cheeks from her fingers, and instead cups his face in her hands gently messaging the pain away with the pads of her thumbs. Ed froze, his eyes widening though his blush calmed from a vibrant red to a light pink. "I know it's hard for you Ed." Ed gulped when Dmitri placed her forehead against his, forcing him to focus his golden orbs on her indigo eyes. They were more blue today, he noted offhandedly; or maybe it was the setting sun. "But you don't have to worry so much; we're going to get Al his body back. I promise, no matter what, I won't give up on you two." Ed blinked a couple of times, his brain working hard to register what Dmitri had said. It was hard to do when he was so... flustered? Yeah, flustered...

Ed smiled warmly, his eyes falling to half mast and the tension releasing from his shoulders. "Yeah... and we won't give up on you either, ok?"

Dmitri hummed in agreement before she removed herself from Ed's personal bubble, laying down on the grass with a stretch and a yawn. "I actually feel pretty good seeing as I haven't taken a nap today." She said with a triumphant smirk.

Ed chuckled and laid down beside her, his left arm coming to rest behind his head. "Think you'll be ready to travel in a couple days?" He asked casually.

"Oh yes; I'm sure I'll be craving the city after tomorrow. The peace and quite is refreshing, but the city is where I belong." Ed nodded in agreement.

They laid there in silence, the muffled sound of Pinako and Armstrong talking over the creation of dinner being the only ambient sound that disrupted their silence. The sun was starting to set, casting the sky in shades of bright orange, red and purples. Ed suddenly sat up, leaning over Dmitri with an inquisitive look on his face. Dmitri felt her cheeks heat up despite herself, but in the fading light Ed didn't seem to notice.

"What's that song you and the Major were singing earlier."

"Umm- it's called Loch Lomond..." Dmitri answered.

Ed smiled and laid back down in the same position he had been in before. "Will you sing it?"

Dmitri's cheeks were on fire by now, and she was mentally cursing herself; since when was she so easy to fluster?! It's not like he hadn't heard her sing the damn song before, so what was so different this time? Well what ever it was, Dmitri wanted to curse him, but part of her wondered if Ed knew what he was doing. Like the times at the Tucker estate, it seemed that Ed was oblivious to the best moves he made in their little game. "R-right now?"

Hearing her stutter, Ed glanced over at her, taking note of her bright red cheeks. A light chuckle escaped him; was she embarrassed to sing in front of him? He didn't know why, she had just earlier that day. Ed rolled onto his left side, propping his head up on his palm, a big smile on his face. "Yeah, I like it. And it kind of got interrupted earlier when Al and I started to ask you about it." Ed wished more so then ever that his Auto-Mail hadn't been busted; the one trick he knew that could secure him a victory in this round, was only achievable with two hand's, at least in the position he was in right now. If he moved into a different position, it would come off as suspicious, and the game would be lost. "Please?"

"Uh... sure!" Desperate to put a little space between them (he must have figured out what he was doing, damn it!) Dmitri sat up, tucking her knee's up to her chin and wrapping her arm's around them. Ed sat up too, intent on winning this round in their game. Dmitri cleared her throat, trying her hardest to keep her eyes locked on the distant sun set and not on the golden haired teen that sat just a few inches away from her. "By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes, where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond, me and my true love were ever wont to gae, on the bonny, bonny banks of Loch Lomond~~"

As Dmitri sang, Ed watched some of the tension drain from her face and body, allowing him to view a side that he'd only ever glimpsed. If one thing had become obvious to him since their meeting in Youswell, it was that Dmitri kept herself wrapped up tight and wore a little bow on top to keep others at bay. He didn't count their experience in the dormitory showers; there was a huge difference between then and what he was witnessing now. The sun setting light illuminated her in way he wasn't expecting; it took her strong outer layer and stripped it away, leaving her, someone who he viewed as strong and stead fast, as soft and vulnerable. Knowing that he was one of the few to have ever seen her in such a light, made his heart flutter abnormally; maybe he was getting sick?

When Dmitri finished her song, she glanced over to see Ed staring at her with a strange intensity. Heat welled up in her cheeks once again, and tingles shot up and down her spine making her bit her lower lip nervously. Like a shot she stood up, making Ed nearly fall over in surprise. "Uh, I-I think I hear Pinako calling us for dinner!" Dmitri said, her voice slightly higher then normal in her embarrassment. "Yep, yep- it's dinner time!" Dmitri practically ran up the stairs, leaving Ed sitting in a confused state of mind. While he had been lost in thought, he knew Pinako hadn't called them for dinner... Ed frowned, allowing himself to fall back onto the grass.

His mind wondered back to the image of Dmitri sitting in the light of the sun set, the peaceful vulnerability that encompassed her, and felt a warm blush come to his cheeks. It's strange; he should have won that round when Dmitri took off in a hurry, cheeks a bloom with embarrassment. But the memory of his own fluttering heart would be burned into his mind... some how, she had manged to beat him in their game... and she didn't even have to try.


	13. Peeping Piggies

Poke

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Poke Poke

...

POKE

...

 ** _POKE-_** Dmitri rolled over in bed, slapping the offending finger of Al away with an irritated grumble. Who the hell left him in here to mess with her? She was going to have to murder Alexander...

"Demi... hey, Demi!" Dmitri groaned and rolled back over, glaring sleepily at Al who chuckled nervously. "Sorry to wake you up but it's almost noon..." Dmitri blinked slowly, her brain working to digest what he had just said to her. Noon huh? She turned over again, reaching blindly over the edge of the bed for her pocket watch which she remembered tossing onto the floor before passing out cold in the spare bed room. Dmitri felt her fingers curl around it, and bringing it up to her face she read that it was indeed nearly noon.

"Shit..." She mumbled under her breath before pushing herself up onto her hands and knees. "Why didn't you guys wake me sooner? I feel like a bum now..." She asked, stretching out her back like a cat. She let out a big yawn as she felt her body start to come out of it's sleeping state; she must have slept pretty hard.

"Ed told us not to," Al said from his spot on the floor. "You're still recovering from your anemia, and we figured you wouldn't have slept for so long if you didn't need it." Dmitri grimaced at the reminder of her 'condition'. She grabbed some clean cloths from her bag, absentmindedly wondering how long she would have to put up with this shit. Hopefully not to much longer...

"Thank's, I guess..." she said to Al with a small smile. He made a content sound, happy that she wasn't mad at them for treating her like a doll. "Noooow-" Dmitri had every intention of taking a shower when she was struck with a peculiar thought; she hadn't seen an actual bathroom in the house. They had an out house but... "Is there a shower around here?" Dmitri asked tentatively. Inwardly she prayed that the answer was yes; she needed to wash off the grim from the previous days traveling and exploring, or she was going to lose her mind.

"Yeah! It's attached to the back of the house- you cant miss it!"

Dmitri felt her heart sink a tiny bit. "...it's an outdoor shower isn't it."

"Yep!"

"Joy. Note the sarcasm." Al laughed a little as Dmitri rummaged through he bag for her bathing bag. All she could pray for now was that this outdoor shower had hot water.

* * *

Dmitri, having changed into a black tank top and a pair of her black shorts (in Ed's empty room, seeing as poor Al couldn't have left if he wanted to), walked around the side of the house with some body wash in hand. While an outdoor shower wasn't her idea of a good time, she couldn't deny that she was in desperate need of a bath. She could still smell the sheep from the livestock cart Al had been forced to ride in before their first stop. The thought made her cringe; how could anyone have stood to stand next to her?!... _and Ed, oh my god he was like all up in my face yesterday! How could he stand to be that close when I smell like a sheep car?!..._ Dmitri gave out a dejected sigh.

Coming around the back of the house, the shower was easy to spot; it was a simple shower head that was attached to the back of the house and set over a square area of raised wooden floor boards, elevating the shower area up off the ground to prevent mud and grass build up. Two knobs, one for cold water and the other for hot (score), were placed on the wall at eye level. Two lattices hung on either side of the shower area with bright purple flowers growing on them in vines. While not her ideal shower, Dmitri decided that it was actually kind of cute, and at least the flowers offered some kind of privacy.

After turning on the water (and nearly having a heart attack when the pipes groaned in complaint), Dmitri stood under the water spray, letting the surprisingly hard water flow blast the filth and dust from the previous day off her skin. Keeping her eyes closed, Dmitri simply enjoyed the feeling of the water; showers had always been so relaxing to her. And the sound of chirping birds and Ed calling her name just made her- "...huh?"

"HEY! Earth to Dmitri!" Ed called from above her making her jump and nearly fall off the slick wood of the shower deck. She looked up to see Ed leaning out of a window on the second level, smiling down at her mischievously. "Good afternoon sleepy head! Feel better?" He asked, moving to lean on his lift elbow.

Dmitri felt her brow tick, her mouth flapping open and closed in outrage. "W-were... WERE YOU WATCHING ME SHOWER?!"

Ed's face fell into a look of innocent confusion. "huh? GAH!" Dmitri threw her body wash bottle at him, smacking him dead in the center of his forehead and making him fall back into the house.

"PERVERT!"

Shouts of confusion came from the house before Winry's head poked out of the window. She looked down at the fuming Dmitri, taking in her bright red cheeks before slipping back into the house, shouting at Ed about peeping on girls when they were in the shower. Ed didn't get a chance to defend himself before the sound of a wrench smacking into a skull came from the house. Dmitri huffed, fetching her body wash from the ground. Served him right! She could hear Ed wining from the window, shouting at Winry for always trying to kill him. Dmitri snickered a little, the red in her cheeks reducing to a soft pink hue. She hoped the welt stayed this time.

* * *

Ed grumbled incoherently as he stomped out of the house, two large welts on his head. First, Dmitri decided to throw her soap at him, catching him off guard and making him fall over like an idiot, and then Winry just _had_ to smack him with one of her wrenches. Was there a _reason_ the women in his life felt the need to kick his ass all the time?! Or did him and Al just attract the crazy ones? He was beginning to think the later was true... Ed came around the back of the house, intent on taking his turn in the shower; it had been his original objective to tell Dmitri to leave the water running when she was done, but then she had to attack him with strawberry burst body wash.

"Yo, is it safe to call dibs on the shower yet, or are you going to attack me again?" Ed asked.

Dmitri, who had just stepped out from under the stream of water, scowled at him over her shoulder. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and stared wringing out the excess water as she answered him. "You deserved that hit to the face Edward! You shouldn't be peeping on girls while their in the shower!"

Ed rolled his eyes, taking off his tank top and undoing his braid before stepping up onto the shower deck. "You make it sound like it's the first time I've seen you in a shower," Ed raised his voice so she could hear him past the running water. "And last time you were even _more_ naked!"

Dmitri threw her body wash at him again, this time with Ed catching it in his left hand and sticking his tongue out at her mockingly. "Last time was different!" Ed frowned a little, but shrugged his shoulders in indifference while pouring some of her body wash onto his shoulders and tossing the bottle back at her. Dmitri caught it, snickering a little at the thought of Ed smelling like strawberries. "That's going to make you smell like me; you know that right?" Again Ed shrugged, using his left hand to work the soup into a lather before the shower stream could wash it away completely.

"Not like you smell bad." Ed said, running his hand through his hair a couple times before reaching over and shutting off the water. "I'd rather use your's then the Majors; his might make me _sparkle_."

Dmitri snorted, trying her hardest to stay mad at Ed for 'peeping' on her. "Touche."

Ed chuckled, using his left hand to wring as much of the water out of his golden hair as he could, failing miserably at it. Seeing his struggle, Dmitri walked over and pushed him into a seated position on the edge of the shower deck.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" Ed said, his cheek's turning a soft pink.

"Relax princess," Dmitri said while taking his hair into her hands and wringing out the excess water. "This will go a lot faster with two hands."

Ed scoffed, going to cross his arms over his chest childishly, only to stop short when he remembered that his right arm was in the process of being rebuilt. The thought irked him terribly; it's no wonder they sent Alexander with him to get his arm fixed. He couldn't even take a proper _bath_ on his own! Feeling Dmitri's fingers sliding through his hair, reminded him of the times Al, Granny and Winry had had to take care of him. Right after he had lost his arm and leg trying to bring his mother back... Dmitri shook his shoulder, suddenly pulling him from his depressing thoughts.

"There!" She said, a large smile on her face. "All done."

Ed blinked, reaching over his shoulder to find that his hair had been put back into it's original braid. "Oh, thanks-"

Dmitri grabbed Ed's wrist, pulling him up from his seat and towards the front of the house. "No problem! now come on! I've decided that to pay me back for peeping on me, you're going to take me into town!"

Ed's face turned an interesting shade of pink. "I WASN'T PEEPING!"

* * *

"It's weird to see you in a dress." Ed said, making Dmitri look down at herself questionably.

An hour later found Ed and Dmitri walking through the bustling shopping center of Resembool. Dmitri, not wanting to stand out to much, borrowed a knee length light blue sundress from Winry's barely full closet and a pair of sandals. The dress was a little tight up top at first, but Dmitri was able to make it work by not wearing her bra (not that anyone aside from Winry knew that).

"Well, I figured my shorts and tank tops might have made us stick out to much..." Dmitri said. She looked Ed over, her face falling into a dead panned expression as she took in his combat boots, black leather pants, blank tank top and bright red jacket. "Then again, thank's to you we _still_ stick out like a sore thumb."

"Hey, I take offence to that!"

Dmitri rolled her eyes before stopping off at a shop with fresh vegetables sitting out front. "We are trying to stay hidden from Scar, not draw him to us like ants to sugar water. What if he happened to pass through here, and see you? He'd recognize you instantly, seeing as you're dressed in your _normal_ clothing."

Ed grimaced, stuffing his left hand into his pocket. "Come on; why would Scar come all the way out here for _one_ Alchemist?"

"Three."

"Fine, _three_ \- you're worrying to much Dmitri. Scar won't follow us out here."

Dmitri shook her head, dismissing the conversation as she paid for some of the fresh produce. Ed quirked a brow and glanced down into the basket that hung from Dmitri's hand.

"Trying to buy out the whole store?" Ed said, a teasing smile falling onto his face.

Dmitri chuckled, leading the way down the street. "Hahaha- don't quit your day job Ed. But _no_ , I'm cooking for Winry, Pinako and my self, and two of the biggest piggies I've ever met in my life."

Ed's face scrunched up in confusion; piggies...? "HEY! Are you calling me a pig!?" Dmitri laughed, and took off at a light jog to escape the irritable Elric. Ed growled under his breath and raced after her through the mid day crowd. "Don't run away from me! Hey, Dmitri! You're going to get lost-AHHHH!"

* * *

"-and when I looked back, Ed had tripped over a pig in the road! And what's better, the pig landed on top of him and refused to get up! HAHA, Oh Al, I wish you could have been there!" Dmitri said, laughing at the embarrassed blush that rose on Ed's cheek as he tried to hide his face behind the binding of his book. After managing to escape from under the pig, Dmitri had been bursting into laughter every time they made eye contact. Ed could honestly say he's never been so embarrassed in all his life. "You too Alexander!"

Al laughed heartily, his whole body rattling in his mirth. "Ed, I never realized how much animals liked you! First Alexander, and now a pig!"

Ed growled, glaring daggers between Al and Dmitri over the edge of his book, the two of them still shaking in their glee. "Yeah, yeah laugh it up!

Alexander chuckled while peeling potatoes for that nights meal. "Sound's like the two of you had quite the adventure!"

"Oh yeah!" Dmitri said, setting a cup of black coffee on the table in front of Ed. "I think you've earned this." She said to Ed's quirked brow. "I'll talk to Winry and get her to forgive you for this morning." Dmitri winked, a mischievous smile gracing her lips making Ed's face go abloom once again. Damn, he had lost another round in three seconds flat. Not cool.

"So Dmitri, what's for dinner tonight?" Al asked, allowing the topic of Ed's piggy friend to fall off.

Dmitri snickered, her hand's coming fall onto her hips and a triumphant smile working it's way to her face. "It's my famous Beef Stew!"

"Oooooooo!" Al said in amazement while Ed rolled his eyes at her melodramatics.

"Please, hold your applause!" Dmitri said while holding her hand up to quite down her 'crowd'. This made Al laugh again and a small smile to fall on the faces of Ed and Alexander.

"This recipe is legendary! It's been passed down through generations of the Armstrong Family!" Alexander said proudly, making Dmitri nod her head in agreement.

"Indeed."

Ed shrugged his shoulders, a devious smirk coming to his lips. "Well, if it's anything like I've eaten of yours before Dmitri, I'm sure it just awefu-!"

The knife Dmitri was using to cut up carrots and onions suddenly lodged itself into the wooden table a mere inch from Ed's forearm. Ed blanched as Dmitri stalked over, grabbing hold of the knife's handle and leaning in until they were nose to nose, her indigo eyes burning into his own golden eyes. "What was that about my cooking?"

Ed gulped before letting out a nervous chuckle, a cold sweat beading up on his forehead. "I-it's it's... aaawefully good! Yep, the best food I've ever eaten!" Ed said, stumbling over his words. Dmitri narrowed her eyes at him before giving him one the biggest smiles he's ever seen and planting a small kiss to his cheek. If he wasn't fearing for his life right then, Ed would have surly died of embarrassment as Armstrong sputtered and gasped in shock at the blatant display.

"I'm happy you feel that way!" She said before pulling the knife out of the table and practically dancing back to her chopping block. "After all, I'm the one dishing out the portions tonight..." She left her words to hang in the air, making Ed grimace. He made a mental note; don't make fun of Dmitri's cooking. EVER.

* * *

Dmitri wiped a bit of sweat from her forehead with a sigh, feel rather tired after tending to dinner for the last three hours. But, the stew was finally ready. Thank god. If she had to listen to Ed complain about being hungry one more time, she might just kill him. With careful hand's she poured a bowl of stew, placing it and a couple roll's onto a tray. "Ed!" She called out. Moments later, a familiar sight of golden hair and eyes popped around the kitchen door way, an expectant look on his face.

"Is dinner done?"

Dmitri rolled her eyes. "Yes, but before you get distracted will you run this up to Winry? She's been in her shop all day and I want to make sure she eats." Ed wined about being hungry as he took the tray from her hands. Dmitri hit his left shoulder, a scolding look in her eyes. "Stop complaining or I'll make you wait another hour. I still have to serve up the food anyways."

Ed rolled his eyes, a mischievous light coming to them. "Alright, alright, I'll run this up to Winry-"

"Edward James Elric, if you eat that stew, I'll-"

"How the hell do you know my full name?!" Ed exclaimed, a look of pure embarrassment falling over his face; he'd never much cared for his middle name, opting to omit it from every part of his life including his military profile; so how the hell did she find out?! Dmitri laughed, not bothering to answer him as she turned back to the stew, scooping it into everyone's bowls. Flustered, Ed made his way to deliver the stew to Winry. It was as he ascended the stairs that he realized he had lost yet another round to their game. Damn it!


	14. Balance

"Soooo... this is the finished product?" Dmitri asked as she watched Winry and Pinako set up to attach Ed's new Automail. Winry smiled proudly, as she hooked up the hundreds of thin wires and cables that would act as Ed's nerves and tendons in his arm. It was actually kind of cool.

"Yep! Once we get them locked into place, and flip the circuits, Ed will regain normal mobility, more or less." Winry said with an excited gleam in her eyes.

Ed scowled at her, his left brow ticking irritably. "You act like you _enjoy_ this part of it."

"To see my babies come to life, what better joy is there in the world!?" Winry said with stars in her eyes. Dmitri laughed while Ed scoffed, clearly offended by Winry's love for her 'babies'. Winry grabbed a what looked to be a thick Allen Wrench, sliding the curved end into a bolt at the top of Ed's right shoulder. Pinako did the same at the connection of Ed's left leg. A cold sweat broke out over Ed's face giving away how nervous he really was about what was about to happen.

"Alright, ready?" Pinako asked Ed. He didn't answer her, only grit his teeth and clamped his eyes shut. "One. Two... **Three**!"

At the same time Pinako and Winry turned their wrenches. An indescribable pain hit Ed's entire body, making him cry out as the nerves connected. Every muscle in his seemed to be twitching in an effort to regulate them selves after the electric shock, and Ed's jaw was clenched so tight it was a wonder his gums weren't bleeding. He let out a breath he had involuntarily held as the effects of the attachment began to wear off, allowing him to breath and function regularly.

"Fuck me... every time... I hate that moment when the nerves connect..." Ed said, his head lolling back while Winry and Pinako ran some system checks on his now functional arm and leg. Dmitri leaned in for a closer look, her eyes wide as she watched the wires and artificial muscles move with every small twitch of Ed's shoulder.

"Don't be such a baby." Winry said, with Ed giver out a sound of offence in response. "Try wiggling your fingers."

Grumbling under his breath Ed began moving the fingers on his Auto-mail hand, relieved to find that it appeared to be working normally; if anything looked wrong they would have to redo the entire attachment, which was something he wasn't looking forward to. Dmitri moved down to watch his fingers move, her mouth hanging wide open in awe. "Wow... I've never seen anything so cool!"

Ed grimaced. "Oh great, don't tell me Winry's turned you into an Automail freak like her!"

Dmitri shook her head, standing up straight once again. "No, but I've never seen anyone get their Auto-Mail reconnected. It's awesome that you can have mobility after only a couple of minutes."

Ed started to rotate his right shoulder, testing out the level of mobility he could obtain; it seemed as though Winry had stepped up her game even further as he noticed the lack effort it took for him to move. "Yeah, but soon I can kiss this pain goodbye! Once we get the philosophers stone, I won't need Automail anymore."

"That will be a shame. You're our cash cow." Pinako said as she began placing the smooth outer casing of his leg into place.

"And why are you in such a hurry to get back to normal? Automail is **cool**!" Winry said, her eyes going starry again. "The smell of oil, the creaking of artificial muscles, the whirring of bearings and the beautiful form based on the principles of biophysical research! Oh my, how wonderful Automail prosthetics are!"

Ed gave her a dead panned stare. "Gear Freak."

"Shut up Alchemy Freak."

The two continued their squabble making Dmitri sigh; their sibling tiff was taking more energy out of her then normal. Pinako chuckled at the two, patting Ed's leg to give him the go ahead to test it out. Ed jumped to his feet, happily stretching out his new limbs every which way. " How is it?" Pinako asked, watching with careful eyes for any signs of stiff and jerky movements.

Ed stretched his new right arm over his chest, pulling on it with his left hand to stretch out the shoulder port. "Feels good."

Dmitri walked over and grabbed his right arm, inspecting the joints of his hand and elbow, completely unaware of the light blush that dusted Ed's cheeks. "The joints look different somehow. And it's lighter then it had been..." She said, bending his hand at the wrist, noting the softer clinks that came from it.

Winry nodded her head, a proud smirk falling onto her lips. "Good observation my wonderful student-" Ed rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Ed's not one to worry to much about daily maintenance, so this time around I used steel with a high percentage of Chrome to make it rust-resistant."

Dmitri nodded, letting go of Ed's arm much to his relief. "Makes sense. I'll try and get him to work on it from time to time," she said, grinning cheekily despite the aggravated glare sent her way via Ed.

"Great! I'll show you how to oil it properly, since I know Ed wont think to do it until it's falling off." Winry shot Ed a dark look which Ed promptly ignored. Winry rolled her eyes and turned around to start picking up her tools. "But you have to remember Ed, that since I changed the components of the steel, it will be less durable. So you have to be-"

"Uh, Winry..." Winry glanced over at Dmitri, who was smiling sheepishly. "Ed's not here anymore..." Winry growled, mumbling obscenities under her breath as she continued cleaning up the tools used for the connection. Dmitri and Pinako glanced at each other, both chuckling at Ed and Winry's antics.

"I think I'm gonna go see what Ed and Al are up to now," Dmitri said as she turned to exit the room. "I'll be back in to help with dinner Pinako."

* * *

It didn't take Dmitri long to find the two brothers. Al had been fixed (thank god) and the two were now sparing some thirty yards away from the house. Dmitri stepped out just in time to see Al literally THROW Ed across the yard. "Wow, it's raining short blondes today..."

"Hmmm... What are they doing?" Armstrong asked, coming from the house to stand beside Dmitri.

She shrugged her shoulders in response. "Being boys."

"HA! Then perhaps this is the perfect chance for me to show them how to become MEN!"

Dmitri gaped in horror as her cousin ripped his shirt off and jumped off the _second floor_ balcony, running towards Ed and Al who had similar looks of horror plastered on their face. The two brothers turned to escape, but Ed wasn't lucky enough to out run Armstrongs long stride and was easily captured by the back of his shirt.

"Alexander, don't you dare break them!" Dmitri shouted as she too jumped from the second story, landing in a roll in the grass. "They just got fixed-AHH!" Dmitri stopped her scolding when she was suddenly knocked over by Ed, who had been thrown by Armstrong. "Oh, holy shit Ed! You're heavy!" Dmitri shouted, pushing Ed off of her making him yelp as he was once again sent flying. "ALEXANDER!"

Armstrong, who was locked in a stand off with Al, looked over with a surprised look on his face that quickly turned to mild fear when he noticed who had shouted his name. Dmitri fumed, stalking over to him with a deep frown on her face. "Oh, uh, Sweet Cousin-" Dmitri, after bunching up the skirt of her sun dress, launched herself at him, attacking low and taking out his center of gravity faster then he could react. "I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU WERE THERE!"

Dmitri grabbed Alexander by his belt and wrist, tossing him into the air. "PEOPLE AREN'T FOR THROWING!" He landed back first some ten feet away, letting out a grunt as the air was smacked out of him. Dmitri dusted her hands off, a scowl still present on her face. She turned on her heel, pinning a terrified looking Ed with dark indigo eyes. "ED!"

"Y-YES MA'AM!"

"Are you hurt?"

"N-no..."

"Good. _Get over here._ " Ed gulped, reluctant to move. He had never truly seen Dmitri fight before, the one battle they are participated in being so soon after she was diagnosed with her anemia. But clearly, if the way she was able to take out her colossus cousin was anything to go by, she wasn't someone to mess with. Al inched away from her, the clink of his armor gaining her attention. "AL, don't move! I'm going to need you for this. Ed, get your ass over here before I decide to throw you too!"

Ed jumped to his feet, hurrying to her side along with Al, the two of them standing shoulder to elbow in front of her. Dmitri looked them over, ignoring Alexander as he came to stand beside her, his head bowed and animated tears streaming down his face. Dmitri sighed, her hands falling onto her hips. "Ed." Ed's shoulders became ridged. "The person who trained you; they weren't very big were they." Ed and Al glanced at each other before they both shook their head. "I didn't think so. Well, today you are going to learn how to fight like a big boy!"

Ed's brow twitched. "What the hell is that supposed to mean..."

Dmitri frowned at him, her face holding a level of seriousness that made Al shift uncomfortably. "Edward, it is time we both face the music..." She said making Ed quirk a brow at her in confusion. "We are short."

"WHOYOUCALLINGAPIGMESIZEDTICK!?"

"Edward!" Ed stopped his ranting, giving Dmitri a very angry look which she returned with one of her own. " Being short isn't all that bad; we are smaller targets, making us harder to hit, and we are light on our feet. We can disappear into a crowd in a matter of seconds, and hide in the most ridiculous places. But, despite all of that, we are still lacking in physical strength. We are strong in our own rights, given our size, but compared to someone of Al or Alexanders size we are weak." Ed scowled at her, not liking this little speech she was throwing at him. He wasn't weak, not by a long shot- "Do you remember the fight with Scar? How it seemed we couldn't get away from him. He beat us so easily, despite the years of training we've put ourselves through."

"We lost because he's bigger then brother and you?" Al asked incredulously.

Dmitri nodded, a grim frown falling on to her lips. "If I hadn't been so ill, we might have stood a chance. Our bodies can only move so fast, and travel so far; for every step Scar took, we had to take four. For every punch Scar threw, we would have to throw three to mach the force put behind it. It's not just his strange alchemy we have to tango with, but Scars sheer size as a human being as well." Dmitri turned to look at Ed, who was now glaring off into the distance. "Edward, you saw me throw Alexander, correct?"

When Ed didn't answer, Al stepped forward. "Yeah, that was incredible! We had no idea you were so strong Demi!"

"I'm not." Dmitri said earning a confused sound from Al and a side long glance from Ed. "Come on you guys, does it look like I could lift someone the size of Alexander?"

"Not in a million years." Ed said, folding his arms over his chest.

"I didn't lift him; I used his weight against him. One of the good things about being short, Ed, is being able to get close enough to disrupt a persons center of balance. Despite their huge size, all big boys have a weakness; a large center of balance. From the knee to the waist is the area of focus, and on someone the size of Alexander, it is easier to access. Especially if you are small. After you take out their center of balance, you let gravity take over-"

"And their own weight will throw them..." Ed said, realization coming over his face. "WHY DIDN'T I EVER THINK OF THAT!?"

"Probably because you were to busy trying to prove how strong you are..." Dmitri grumbled out making Ed scoff. "Either way, I'm going to teach you how to do this with out breaking your arm's. We'll use Alexander; I wouldn't want to bang Al up again. In the process, Al, I'll teach you to block the move I'm going to teach Ed." Ed complained loudly about not being able to use this knowledge against Al, making Alexander chuckle. Dmitri rolled her eyes. "Don't be a baby Ed."

* * *

Winry, having finished cleaning up (aka, tossing everything on to her work station...shhhhh, don't tell Granny...), walked into the main house with the intention of getting something to drink. The sound of fighting from the front of the house caught her attention, directing her to the front door and onto the first level deck. The sight the greeted her made her stop in her tracks, a flabbergasted look falling onto her face.

Ed, still dressed in his boxers and a T-Shirt, was attempting to _throw_ the Major, who was probably four times his size. What was weirder, was the Dmitri and AL were standing to the side lines, with Dmitri shouting pointers out to Ed.

"You gotta be faster then that Ed! Remember, he's not going to just _let_ you throw him!" Dmitri shouted earning an incomprehensible shout from Ed as he was picked up and tossed aside by the Major like a sack of potatoes.

Winry shook her head, walking back into the house to obtain her original objective. She was sure she didn't even _want_ to know what they were up to, but she did know what thing; he better not break his Automail while doing it, or the Major will become the _least_ of his worries.

* * *

Ed grunted as his back met the ground once again by the invincible Armstrong. His breathing was ragged, and every muscle in Ed's body shouted at him to stay down, which he decided was best... for a couple minutes anyways. When he didn't get up right away, Al appeared over him. Dmitri and Armstrong were close behind, concern plain on Armstrongs face while Dmitri looked a little amused. Bitch.

"You alive?" She asked in a teasing tone, one he didn't appreciate at that moment. He didn't understand it; he couldn't throw Armstrong. He couldn't even get close enough to _try_. Armstrongs long reach and wide steps made him an impenetrable fortress; he was surprised that Dmitri had been able to do it so easily. And he was kind of jealous that she _could_.

"Maybe we should call it a day brother; we've been at this for a couple hours..." Al said, making Ed scoff and sit up.

"Hell no- I'm not stopping until I send him flying!"

Dmitri sighed and knelt down, pinching his cheek much to his chagrin. "Ed, I can see your left arm shaking. We are taking a break."

Ed pushed her hand away, a grouchy grunt escaping his lips as he stood up. "No- I'm _going_ to get this down!"

Dmitri and Al groaned, ready to be done for the day. Armstrong however seemed rearing to go, as Ed and him squared up once again. Ed moved first, attempting to go in low as he had seen Dmitri do earlier. However, Armstrong was ready for him, jumping back enough to keep Ed out of his center of balance, and throwing a punch at the much smaller alchemist. Ed was able to dodge, attempting to throw a kick at Armstrong in rebuttal, only for it to be blocked with ease. The hand that blocked the kick, tightened around his left leg making Ed wince and tense up, prepared for what was about to happen.

"Stop." Armstong's whole body froze up at Dmitri's command, saving Ed from being tossed through the air like a rag doll. Ed sighed in mild relief when Armstrong released his leg, allowing Ed to take a few steps back to regain his breath. "Ed, you are barely standing. We will finish this later, but for now let's call it a day-"

"One more time." Ed said, a fierce fire burning in his eyes.

Dmitri frowned; she wasn't sure it was such a good idea. The connection of his arm and leg had to have tired him out _before_ they had started training, and now his flesh arm and leg seemed to be shaking from the exertion Ed had been putting on them while trying to support her cousin's huge weight. Not to mention, being literally _tossed_ wasn't helping him much either... "One more time, and then it's to the shower with you."

Ed smirked triumphantly, falling into a fighting stance at the same time as Alexander. "What, you saying I stink?"

"Yep."

"Tch, what ever. You ready Major!?"

"Ready as always, Edward Elric! Let's finish this like men!" Alexander cried out, flexing his over sized muscles and making Ed and Al grimace. Dmitri rubbed her temple in embarrassment; why was her cousin such an odd ball?


	15. Central

"Awwwe, cheer up Ed!" Dmitri said while patting the top of Ed's golden hair. " It took me a couple week's to learn that move!"

Ed pushed her hand away with a huff making her and their other two booth mates chuckle humorously. "Don't patronize me!" He said, rubbing at his sore cheek. It was marred by a bruise the size of a soft ball, a testament to his last attempt to throw Armstrong; his automail proved his worst choice when trying to break his unbalanced fall.

"Sweet cousin, what are your plans once we arrive in Central? Correct me if I'm mistaken, but you're supposed to contact Colonel Mustang for an assignment are you not? " Armstrong asked, deciding to rout the conversation away from Ed's failure. How ever, the scathing look's that were now being sent his cousin direction informed him that this was also a topic that should have been avoided. "Oh..."

"You're leaving us?!" Al asked incredulously.

Dmitri sighed, shooting Armstrong a scathing look of her own making her over grown cousin hum akwardly. "No Al, I'm not leaving you guys." Dmitri said as she slouched against her seat, picking at the hem of the light blue dress Winry had allowed her to keep. 'A girl should always have something feminine in her closet!' Winry had stated boldly. Dmitri was thankful for the garment, but had a feeling she wouldn't be wearing it much once she got back to work. "I'm not really getting paid to help the two of you, so I'm going to see what small cases need to be worked on while we are in central. I'm starting to run a little short on cash, and traveling isn't cheap."

"What about your research grants?" Ed asked, his brows knitting together in confusion.

"Well..." Dmitri trailed off, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. "I kind of set up a bar on them when I was younger. I'm not allowed to touch the money given to me through those grants until I'm 18..."

Ed and Al both made sounds of surprise. "WHAT?! What do you mean you're not getting paid?!" Ed exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table top. "How the hell have you been surviving all this time?!"

"Heh, let me rephrase; I'll get paid once I'm dismissed from following you around." Dmitri said, flashing the two brothers a smug leer. "Don't worry, I won't let King Bradly skip out on _this_ particular pay check. Pinako and Winry aren't the _only_ ones who consider you a cash cow." Ed fumed and Al chuckled while rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "But before I got lassoed into following you two around, I made money by taking small jobs from Roy and working undercover for Hues; they pay separately from my grants, _and_ they pay well enough to keep my head above water." Dmitri said while shrugging her shoulders. "I plan on exploring the world until I turn 18. After that I'll settle down and take on local jobs. The grant money I'm saving will help me in buying a home and establishing a good line of credit early on in life." Ed and Al blinked owlishly at her, making her cheeks tinge pink in mild embarrassment. "W-what?! Is there something wrong with wanting to be a step ahead in life?! If I play my cards right, I'll be able to retire by the time I'm forty years old!"

Ed held up his hand's defensively, shaking his head in a hurried attempt to thwart her rising temper. "No! Not at all, it's just weird to hear someone our age thinking along those lines. I mean, I haven't really given much thought about what Al and I will do after we get our bodies back..."

Armstrong sat up straight, beaming proudly at Dmitri. "Preparation is the key to the Armstrong families success! It is only fitting that my sweet, innocent little cousin should be prepared to face the challenges of adult hood!" Pink sparkles appeared around Armstrongs head making Dmitri, Ed and Al cringe. "She is the pride and joy of our family-"

"Alexander. Shut up." Dmitri said, her tone so frigged it made Armstrong break out in a cold sweat. Ed and Al gave each other side long glances, unsure of Dmitri's change in attitude. "Apart from you, I associate with only one other member of my so called family, and as such I don't appreciate being compared to them." Dmitri crossed her arms over he chest, a deep frown set on her lips. "As far as I am concerned, you and Olivier are my only blood family." Armstrong gulped, nodding his head in understanding. Ed and Al glanced at each other again, but the suddenly heavy air in the booth kept either of them from making a sound. Dmitri sighed, allowing her shoulders to relax a little. "Hey Al, you got any cards hidden in that armor of yours?"

"Um..." Al peeked inside his armor, producing a deck of cards that made Dmitri's eyes light up. "Here you go." Al handed the cards over and Dmitri instantly pulled them from their box and started shuffling them.

"Who's up for some poker?"

Ed gave a Cheshire cat grin, leaning forward and partially across the table. "Ho, ho, ho what are the stakes?"

"Well, normally I'd say money, but seeing as it's against _you_ I say we up the stakes a bit."

Al sighed, his shoulder slumping; was it always a competition for these two? Why couldn't they just play a nice game of cards...

"What did you have in mind?"

Dmitri rubbed her chin in thought, jutting her lower lip out for added brain power. "Hmmmmm... why don't we play for the lead?"

Ed scrunched his face in confusion, scratching the back of his head. "The lead...?"

"Yep! In our game- this is a chance to get some free points Ed, since your so painfully behind!" Dmitri said with a sweet smile. Ed saw right through it though, and growled under his breath. Al tried to cover his mouth as he snickered, though it was ineffective as he didn't actually have a mouth.

"WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON?!" Ed shouted at Al which only made him laugh harder. "FINE! I'll agree to your ridiculous rules! We'll play until we reach Central, and when we get there we'll use the difference to assign points!"

"Heh," Dmitri gave Ed a determined smirk. "Agreed."

* * *

Ed walked off the train, his head hung low and an utter aura of defeat resting on his shoulders. "I can't believe I lost..." He grumbled out making Al and Armstrong laugh.

Dmitri came up behind him, dragging her over head luggage behind her. "Oh stop moping you big baby, you only lost by one point."

"That's easy for you to say! You've been I the lead since day one! DAY ONE I TELL YOU!" Ed exclaimed, waving his arms for added effect.

Dmitri rolled her eyes and walked around him, waving over her shoulder. "Then try and think of a way to get even while I'm at work-!" Dmitri was stopped when she was suddenly enveloped in the overpowering embrace of Armstrong, who nearly squeezed the life out of her.

"MY DEAR SWEET COUSIN! PLEASE BE SAFE ON YOUR MISSION!" Armstrong blubbered making Dmitri's brow tic in annoyance.

"Alexander..." she hissed out making him drop her in an instant. Before he could react Dmitri grabbed him up and threw him away from her, making the pedestrians around them gawk at her. Ed and Al twitched in annoyance, not liking the strange looks people were shooting their odd ball group. "DON'T CAUSE A SCENE! God, it's not like Roy is going to send me to my death bed! And besides, you're coming with _me_ to Central Headquarters you oaf!"

"You're one to talk about making a scene..." Ed grumbled.

"She's lucky he didn't land on some poor bystander..." Al said under his breath as Dmitri gathered up her bag again, marching away and leaving Armstrong laying on the floor in an emotional puddle.

"Sweet cousin... why do you hurt me so..."

"Ma'ma!" Ed and Al looked over to see a couple military personnel standing in front of Dmitri, saluting her. "You must be Major Lead, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

Dmitri gave them a nod in acknowledgment. "As you were. What can I do for you?"

Ed and Al came to stand beside Dmitri, with Ed eyeing the Second Lieutenant and the Sergeant suspiciously. The two nodded their heads in unison, dropping the salutes as a single motion between them making Ed's brow twitch. Armstrong appeared behind Ed and Al making the two of them jump in surprise. "Major Armstrong, Lead Alchemist- we've come to relieve you of your duties for the time being."

"Thank you Second Lieutenant Ross. And you as well, Sergeant Brosh." Armstrong said with an appreciative smile.

Dmitri glanced over her shoulder at the two brothers who were giving her curious looks. "I was wondering what Roy was going to do now that we'll be splitting up." She said to herself.

Brosh, a middle aged dirty blonde haired man with soft blue eyes, turned to Ed and Al, giving Al a smile so big it nearly split his face. "And _this_ must be the Fullmetal Alchemist?"

Ed nearly slumped to the ground in self pity as Brosh and Ross turned to Al, giving him looks of adoration. "My name is Maria Ross. It's an honor to meet you, sir!" Dmitri snickered as Ed's face fell even further, and Al tried his hardest to thwart Brosh and Ross' praise.

"Um, well-"

"Denny Brosh, reporting sir! I can see where you got your nickname! Very dignified!"

"Ahem!" Dmitri cleared her throat, gaining Brosh and Ross' attention. Dmitri pointed at Ed's dejected head making the two officers blink owlishly.

"Hmmmmm?"

"The little guy-!"

Ed's shoulder ticked before he attempted to tackle Brosh to the ground, being stopped by Armstrong holding onto the back of his jacket. Dmitri couldn't hold back her laughter any more, and was nearly in tears by the time Ed had decided to calm down.

"P-PLEASE ACCEPT MY APOLOGIES!" Ross shouted, standing at attention so stiffly it was a shock her spine wasn't snapping in half.

"I didn't mean _little_ per se..." Brosh said, attempting to fix the damage he had inflicted on Ed's ego.

Dmitri waved Brosh's apology off with a smile. "It's ok Sergeant, he's just a little sensitive." She said as Ed huffed and straightened out his jacket. "Alexander, we should probably be heading to Central Headquarters now. You still have to file your report and I have to call Roy to get my assignment."

"Hmm, you are correct."

Ed perked up a little, flashing Armstrong one of his sweetest smiles. "Eh? So this is goodbye?! Thanks for your help Major. Drop me a postcard sometime-GAH!?" Like with Dmitri before, Armstrong gathered Ed's much smaller body up into his arms, crushing him in an overly emotional display of sorrow.

"I WILL MISS YOU AS WELL MY LAD!" Armstrong said, his over zealous affection making Ross and Brosh reel back in horror. "AH, the good times we shared on the road! Until we meet again!" When Armstrong removed Ed from his embrace, Ed keeled over into Dmitri's waiting arm's, gasping for breath like a fish out of water.

"You should have tried to throw him Ed! He was wide open." Dmitri said as she placed Ed back on his feet.

"Shut up!"

Armstrong dabbed away the tears that had gathered in the corners of his eyes before turning back to Ross and Brosh who looked terrified. "Well then, we'll leave him with you!"

"uh- Yes sir!" Ross and Brosh said, giving him a perfectly unified salute.

Ed's shoulders slumped a little, his lower lip jutting out in the smallest of pouts. "Whaaaat? More bodyguards?!"

Dmitri and Al giggled a little, with Dmitri pinching Ed's cheek making him scowl. "Yes you big baby, more bodyguards. Scar is still out there, and he's made it clear as day that _you_ are one of his targets." Ed sighed, glaring at the sidewalk.

"Oh yeah, well what about you? He nearly blew your head off-"

"And that was only because I was trying to stop him from getting to you." Dmitri said with a wink making Ed's cheeks flush. "As far as the military goes, I don't exist, remember? I'll be fine on my own. Roy will probably have me running errands all day. Dry cleaning, food shopping; easy stuff." Dmitri gave Al a hug around his waist. "Be good, and try to keep your brother out of trouble." She said to Al, earning a snicker from him and a grunt of protest from Ed, which she silenced with a quick kiss to his previously abused cheek. "Please be good, I'm begging you. I'll track the two of you down when I'm done with my assignment, ok?"

"I'll keep an eye on him Demi." Al said with a laugh as Ed seemed to be a little tongue tied.

"Keep yourself safe too, ok?"

"Of course!"

Dmitri smiled before turning to Armstrong who appeared to be giving Ed the stink eye. "Shall we head out then Alexander?" Armstrong nodded, offering his arm to Dmitri like a proper gentleman.

"Allow me to escort you dear cousin!" Armstrong said making Dmitri chuckle at his dramatic antics.

"My good sir, you are to kind!"

Ed and Al watched as Armstrong led Dmitri into the crowd, the younger brother rubbing his hands together nervously. "Do you really think it's safe to let her go out on her own brother? What if Scar's-"

"She'll be fine." Ed said, cutting off Al's negative train of thought before he could voice it. Watching Dmitri's white blonde head vanishing into the crowd had his stomach knotting up enough, he didn't want to think about the possibility that a state alchemist hunter was roaming the streets at night. "Dmitri's been working undercover since she was 12, she knows what she's doing..." Ed's mind traveled back to the not so distant past, when he had found Dmitri in the showers of Eastern Headquarters, and the tale she had told him concerning her first real mission- Ed shook his head. This situation was completely different and Mustang would never put her in that kind of situation again... " Let's get going." Ed said, turning to follow Brosh and Ross out of the terminal. Al was swift to follow, falling into step with his older brother. "The sooner we get our hands on that research, the sooner we can decode it."

"Right!"

Brosh opens the back door to a sleek black car, allowing Ed and Al to enter before him. "Where is it we're headed Sir?"

"The National Central Library." Ed said, his worry giving way to excitement as Brosh and Ross settled in across from them in the taxi's cabin.

"O-oh... you don't say..." Brosh said, laughing nervously.

"What's wrong ?" Al asked curiously.

"Ah, well you see..."

* * *

Dmitri sighed, dumping her bag onto the floor next to the call center phones. Sitting in one of the plush chairs she groaned, enjoying the soft seat after so many hours on the wooden train benches. Dmitri took a moment to relax, savoring the hustle and bustle of Central Headquarters; Resembool had been great, but she had missed the constant noise that came with the big city. Unfortunately, being back in the big city meant it was time for her to get back to work. With a reluctant groan Dmitri reached up and snatched one of the phones from it's receiver, stretching the cord to its max. She ignored the shrewd glare that was being sent her way by the receptionist as she punched in the number she had burned into her skull.

The phone only rang a couple times before it was picked up by the receptionist at the Eastern Headquarters. " _Thank you for calling Eastern Headquarters, my name is Millie how may I direct your call?_ "

Dmitri grimaced at how sweet this girl sounded; it almost made her teeth hurt. "This is Major Dmitri Ann Armstrong calling for Colonel Roy Mustang."

"One moment please."

* * *

Roy Mustang sat at his desk, enjoying the peace and quite. Everyone aside from himself and Riza had gone to lunch, giving him a few minutes to slack off. You know, cause he never slacks off... He was just about to fall into a small nap when his phone started to ring. With a glower he picked it up. "What is it?" He demanded. He could hear Mollie, the receptionist, drop what ever else had been in her hand in shock making him smirk a little in triumph.

" _AH! S-sorry sir! But I have a call from Major Dmitri Ann Armstrong for you! She claims its for a debriefing..._ "

Roy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. Damn it, he should have known she was going to call... "Alright, put her on."

"Right away sir! Transferring now."

Quickly, Roy reached over to the other side of his desk, turning on his radio and setting it to some random station. He snickered when a particularly annoying song came on and set the phone down in front of the speakers. That should buy him some time to go through those case files Hughes had sent to him...

Riza watched her superior officer as he jumped head first into the massive stack of paperwork around him, grumbling to himself about having nothing to give out... what ever that means. She sighed, exasperated with Roy's antics, and got up from her desk to save who ever was on the other line.

* * *

Again Dmitri grimaced; Roy had changed the waiting music to something high pitched and out of tune. Probably to try and deter people from calling him any more. And what's worse, is he was taking _forever_ to answer. Dmitri was about ready to throw the phone across the room when the soothing voice of Riza came over the receiver.

" _Hello, Colonel Mustang's office._ "

"Oh my god Riza, thank you for picking up, I thought I was going to loose my mind with that new call waiting music!" Dmitri exclaimed loudly, earning her a shush from the receptionist. Dmitri stuck her tongue out in response but did her best to tone down her voice. "Is Roy there? I'm reporting in for a small mission while Ed and Al play book worm."

" _He's right here._ " Riza said, amusement laced through her voice. Dmitri could hear Roy's exasperated sigh as he put the receiver up to his ear.

" _What is it now, Lead_?"

"Well don't you sound so pleased that I'm actually _trying_ to do my job. Next time I'll make you hunt me down to give me a mission." Dmitri said back, smirking despite her annoyance. "By the way, you should change your call waiting music. People wont want to call you any more if it's going to make their eardrums burst."

Roy cleared his throat. " _Yes, well we've had to tighten our budget around here..._ " Dmitri quirked a brow at that, but decided to let it slide... for now. " _Ahem, you sound like your feeling better. I trust you three have been keeping out of trouble._ "

"Oh you know," Dmitri sank deeper into the chair, twirling the phone cord around her fingers. "Burning churches and sacrificing chickens to our dark lord."

" _Business as usual._ "

"Pretty much."

Roy chuckled a little, amused by her antics. " _I'm sure you're itching to start a new job, so I wont beat around the bush. We're a little low on the normal assignments I would give you..._ "

"Roy, please tell me you have something for me to do. If I have to spend anymore time watching Ed and Al reading, I might just burn down the library." Dmitri said, earning a strange kind of grunt from Roy's end of the line. "What? It's true!"

" _I wouldn't make such boasts right now Lead,_ " Roy said, the sound of turning pages coming over the phone. " _As it turns out, the mission I'm sending you on isn't to far off that mark._ "

"What do you mean? Somebody burned down a library?!" Dmitri exclaimed earning another shush from the receptionist. "Oh shush yourself lady!"

" _Lead don't start fights with the receptionist, she's just doing her job._ " Roy chided making Dmitri roll her eyes dramatically. " _And don't roll your eyes at me._ " Dmitri sulked; she couldn't get away with anything when it came to Roy. " _Now, this mission I have in mind for you is delicate. I need to know that you are up to the task, Dmitri._ " Dmitri snapped to attention; Roy only ever used her first name when he was being completely serious with her, which wasn't often. " _I know thing's have been hard lately, and this might not make it any easier. I need you to promise me that if it's to much, you'll abandon the mission. I won't even write you in until the mission is completed, so it wont count against your record._ "

"I'm fine." Dmitri said, unable to stop herself. She wasn't _perfect_ but... she was ok now. Time with Ed and Al, and even Armstrong had made losing Nina easier on her. "I wont back out. I try hard not to mix business with my personal life. You know this." Roy sighed over the phone.

" _Yeah, I know. That's why I know I can trust you to carry out this mission._ " He said making Dmitri smile a little. " _Now this isn't a mission to engage a target; all I need you to do is track down a lead on where they might be heading._ "

"Sound's easy enough. Who's my target?" Dmitri reached into her bag and pulled out a pen, ready to write the information on her palm.

" _Scar._ " Dmitri nearly snapped the pen in half, her eyes widening in shock. Scar? In C _entral_? " _Lead? Are you ok?_ "

"Y-yeah, just shocked is all... I didn't expect him to make an appearance so quickly..."

" _Neither did I- but this time he blew up an entire bridge, or at least that's how it appears._ " Roy said, turning another page. " _We found his jacket at the scene. It was torn and bloody, but no body was recovered._ "

"So you think he's injured and at large?" Dmitri said, writing the word injured on her hand next to Scar's name. "So why are you giving me this mission if this happened in Eastern?"

" _We got reports in from Central Headquarters early this morning that the First Branch of the National Central Library was burned to the ground last night._ " Roy said making Dmitri pause in her writing. " _You still there Lead?_ "

Dmitri snorted in mild amusement. "I'm listening Roy, I was just thinking of the shock Ed and Al are in for. They're headed to the First Branch at this exact moment." Dmitri said, a chibi Ed with animated tears flashing across her mind. Haha. "So you think the two incidents are related in some way?"

" _That's the gist of it. I'm not sure if it's Scar that's responsible in Central, but if he somehow managed to make his way there, we could have a huge problem on our hands._ " Dmitri nodded, though Roy couldn't see it. " _I need you to snoop around for clues. Any eye witness testimony you can come up with, follow the lead until it runs dry. Leave no stone unturned._ "

"Yes Sir, Mustang Sir." Dmitri said, clicking her pen closed before tucking it behind her ear. "I'll get started on this right away-"

" _Lead._ " Roy said making Dmitri stop mid sentence. " _I need you to promise me that if it is Scar, that you won't go after him on your own. If you find any viable evidence that Scar is in Central, you are to call me. Pronto._ "

"Roy, you don't have to worry-"

" _Dmitri. I mean it._ "

Dmitri sighed, chewing on her lower lip. "I promise Roy. I won't go after him on my own." But I might have Ed and Al tag along-

" _That goes for those boy's too. I won't let you three put yourselves or others in danger just because you want to settle a score._ "

Dmitri scowled, her evil plot foiled before she could even finish developing it. " _Fine_ _mom_. I'll report through my umbilical cord if I find anything. Now get back to work, I know for a fact you have a ridiculous amount of paper work you've been avoiding."

" _Hn. Good bye Lead._ "

Dmitri hung up the phone, getting mild satisfaction when the cord was slow to curl back up. She glanced over her shoulder to see the receptionist eyeing the cord distastefully, her heated eyes flicking between it and Dmitri's innocent face. "Oops." The receptionist sighed, pointing to the front door while giving Dmitri a very pointed look. Dmitri took the hint and grabbed her bag before darting out the door. "Alright Dmitri, time to put your game face on."

* * *

Ed groaned, falling over onto the top of the desk he was currently sitting at. It had taken a bit of effort to find the notes left by Marcoh after discovering that the First Branch of the National Central Library had burned to the ground, taking with it the original copy of the notes. Luck was on their side however, as a bashful young woman by the name of Sheska had once worked for the library and had read the notes while on the job, recording them with her photogenic memory. Sheska _was_ a true life saver when she was able to record Marcoh's notes from memory, down to the last period, but Ed was starting to have his doubts.

It had taken Sheska three day's to make a perfect copy of the notes, and Ed and Al have been working diligently to crack the code, but it had been just over a week and they had made very little headway. It was starting to look more and more like the notes left by Marcoh, the "1,000 Meals for Daily Living" cook book was just that. A cook book.

"Whhhhyyyyy- Why'd he make it so damn **hard**?" Ed complained, rubbing his face with his hands in an attempt to wake himself back up.

"Brother... maybe we should just ask Marcoh directly-"

"NO!" Ed shouted, grabbing a handful of notes and shaking them in Al's face. "I see this as Marcoh's challenge. It's like he's saying "Those who can't even break this simple code have no right to know the truth!" We're going to decipher this on our own, no matter what!"

"Umm..." Al peeked over their work station, his shoulders perking up when he spied a young girl with short brown hair and doe brown eyes poking her head around the door.

"Oh, Sheska!" Al said bringing Ed's attention to the door.

Sheska walked into the room, giving the two a shy smile. "I'd heard you two would be in here..." she said bowing respectably to Ed and Al. "I just wanted to say thank you! Thanks to you Mr. Edward, I was able to transfer my mother to an excellent hospital! I honestly can't thank you enough..."

Ed waved his hand in a dismissive way. "No sweat. It was nothing."

"But I feel bad about accepting so much money..." Sheska said. Ed shrugged and laid his head back onto the table, fiddling with the edges of some of the notes.

"You don't need to worry about that. I got off cheap compared to what the secret contained in this data is worth."

Sheska eyed the haphazardly organized notes, rubbing her chin in thought. "I see... so those aren't just recipes after all..." Al nodded his head. "So... how is your deciphering coming along?" Ed and Al gave her dismal looks making her instantly regret asking; clearly they hadn't made much progress if they were still going at it so diligently.

"Have you found a job yet?" Al asked, hoping to lighten the mood. He chose the wrong topic as it was now Sheska's turn to sulk. She had been fired from the library for reading instead of doing her job, and had been feeling the financial strain ever since. It was only thanks to Ed and Al that some of her burden was lifted due to her mother being moved to a more efficient hospital, but that didn't solve all her problems such as, well, food...

"W-well, I'd better go..." Sheska bowed to them again making Ed feel a little uncomfortable. "Thank you again."

"No problem. Don't worry about the money." Ed said, hoping to put her unease to rest.

"It's not just the money... It's just... it makes me so happy that a nobody like me, who's never been good at anything, was able to help out." Sheska said, flashing the two of them a truly happy smile. "So, thank you."

"You're not a nobody," Al said making Sheska and Ed stare at him. "I think being so passionate about something is a talent in itself. Plus, with that amazing memory of yours, I'm sure you'll do all right."

A light blush came to Sheska's cheeks as she gave Al a wide smile. "Thanks!"

"Yo~!" Ed, Al and Sheska all jumped as Hughes came sweeping into the room joyfully.

"Hey Lieutenant Colonel Hughes!" Ed exclaimed, truly surprised by the sudden appearance of his good friend.

"Hi there boys! I heard from the Major that you'd be here. I told you to give me a call if you were ever in Central!" Hughes said, leaning against the edge of their work station. "I mean, I expected you boys to forget, but my sweet Dmitri Ann? Not in a million years!"

"Sorry Hughes, we've been busy on a lead and Dmitri's been on a mission for the last week and a half." Ed said, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Hah, I know what you mean! I've been so swamped lately, I haven't been able to leave the office." Hughes rubbed his shoulders to show how stiff he was from long hours at his desk. "There's been so many incidents lately, the court-martial office that I'm in charge of has really been bustling. And we _still_ haven't closed the Tucker Chimera case-!" Hughes snapped his mouth shut quickly, regret flashing across his face as Ed and Al fell into a somber silence, the pain of Nina's tragic end still fresh in their minds. "Sssshhhi- sorry about that. I wasn't thinking, I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject..." Hughes rubbed the back of his neck tensely. "I haven't heard from Dmitri since you left for your mechanic. How's she doing?"

When Ed failed to answer Al chimed in, putting Hughes to ease. "She's doing a lot better; she's not sick anymore, and she's acting like her normal goofy self."

Hughes let out a relieved sigh. "That's good! I feel bad that I won't have time to visit her right now. It's been to long since we've gotten coffee together." Hughes took a seat then, the tense atmosphere lifted enough to be comfortable again. "Even now I'm just on a quick break. I've gotta get back to work in a minute. Honestly, my work load's only gotten worse since the First Branch burnt down."

Ed's ears perked up, his chin coming to rest in his right hand. "The First Branch...?"

"Uh-huh. It was close to the court-martial office so we used it to store our records. Incident logs, list of names, that kind of thing." Hughes sighed and slumped over in his chair. "As you can imagine, the fires really slowed us down."

Ed and Al glanced at each other before turning in unison to looking at the unaware Sheska. Feeling eyes on her, Sheska glanced over only to jump in shock at the two boy's expectant stares. "AHH! Me?!"

Ed snickered, pointing at Sheska triumphantly. "Hughes, I have just the person to help you out. Sheska here is able to replicate anything she's ever read down the final period. And if she's half the book enthusiast she appears to be, I know the temptation she must have felt knowing there were case files stored at the First Branch."

"Uh, well it's true I _did_ read the military criminal records... and of course I remember them... but..." Sheska said, nervously fiddling with her glasses.

"What'd you think Lieutenant Colonel?" Al said. "We're trying to find her a job!"

Hughes nearly jumped out of his seat in excitement, a big smile stretched over his face. "Huh? This little lady has an amazing talent like _that_?!" Hughes stood and grabbed Sheska's arm, dragging her towards the door. "Let's get the paperwork out of the way, right now! We're gonna give you a GREAT salary!" Hughes said, laughing humorously the whole way out the door.

"AHH! Um, thank you so much you guys!" Sheska shouted at Ed and Al as she was literally dragged from the room. "I'm going to be more confident in myself and try my hardest! Thank you so much for everything!"

Ed and Al waved good bye as Sheska's feet disappeared around the corner, accompanied with Hughes' joyous laughter. "It look's like he's kidnapping her..." Ed said making Al giggle. Ed than shot his little brother a sly smile. " "Being so passionate about something is a talent in itself" huh? Pretty smooth, little brother." Al leaned his helmet against his right hand.

"Do you want some pointers brother? It might help you get a leg up against Dmitri."

Ed scoffed, shaking his head. "For your information, I've gained plenty of points against her!"

"Winning them in poker doesn't count brother..." Al said making Ed huff. "Anyways, we should get back to work. I feel like we might be getting closer to the answer!"

Ed smirked, the spark of anticipation entering his golden eyes. "Yeah, we're so close I can almost taste it!"

* * *

Dmitri stood atop a tall apartment complex in the western district of Central. She wore her black biking shorts, a black tank top and her black zip up jacket with the hood pulled over so far it obscured most of her face. Her light blonde hair was braided over her right shoulder, and a black face mask covered everything but her light blue eyes that seemed to glow in the moonlight. She surveyed the silent street's bellow her, using her highly trained eye sight to try and spot any suspicious activities.

Dmitri had been looking for clues to Scar's whereabouts for almost two weeks now, and she was starting to run out of leads. Most of them were vague; they had seen a strange shadow dart around a corner, or they heard foot steps out side their door. A couple were just right out strange though; reports of a woman, who's face they didn't see, and a large blob of a man, also unidentifiable, were supposedly seen near the library shortly before it burst into flames. But this was Central; it could have been anyone, and the description didn't come close to matching the tall, broad man known as Scar.

A flicker of movement a couple blocks down caught Dmitri's eye; someone was climbing down the outside of the Second Branch Dormitories. Leaping into action, Dmitri scaled down the side of the apartment building with practiced ease, her feet barely making a sound as she landed along the side of the building. With sure, quick and silent foot steps, Dmitri snuck towards the two shadowed figures, reaching discreetly into her tank top and pulling out one of her smaller vials. She narrowed her eyes at them; who ever they were they were trying to be very quiet.

When the smaller of the two shadows dropped down, Dmitri pounced, tackling them to the ground. Before they could react she transmuted her vial into a hand gun, aiming it at their forehead and cocking it. "You have two seconds to identify yourself before I-"

"Brother!"

Dmitri stiffened up for a moment before reaching into her jacket pocket and retrieving a match, striking it on the ground to give herself some light. She faltered when she found Ed's dazed face mere inches from the barrel of her hand gun and quickly pulled it back. "AHH! Edward!" Dmitri said, reeling back and falling onto Ed's abdomen, knocking the wind out of him.

"Demi?" Al, the bigger of the two shadows, came into the light of her match. "Is that you?"

Dmitri pulled down her face mask and flashed Al a sheepish smile. "Yeah, it's me. Sorry Al, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh sure... apologize to him, not the guy you held at gun point..." Ed said in annoyance, propping himself up onto his elbows and giving Dmitri the stink eye. "Have you lost your damn mind?!" He said in a hushed tone, trying hard not to draw any attention to the three of them. Dmitri shook the match, putting it out before it could burn her fingers.

"I lost my mind a while ago," she said making Ed frown. "Around the time I met you two actually."

Ed scowled at her, unimpressed with her attempt at humor."Whatever, can you get off me now? It's kind of hard to breath with your ass compressing my _lungs_."

Dmitri pinned Ed with narrowed eyes, her arm's crossing over her chest defiantly. "Not until one of you tell's me what you're doing sneaking around this late at night." Ed and Al shot each other a nervous glance, both to chicken to explain while under Dmitri's intimidating glare. "I thought I asked you to stay out of trouble while I was at work."

"It's not like that Demi, I swear!" Al said, holding his hand's up defensively. "It's just that... well..." Ed sighed, sitting up while grabbing hold of Dmitri's hips to keep her from falling back and hitting her head on the sidewalk.

"We're going to look for some clues concerning Marcoh's research. We think there might be more to his findings then what's in the notes." Ed said as he set Dmitri off to the side so that he could stand back up. Dmitri stayed on the ground, her lower lip jutting out in thought.

"So you guy's cracked his code then?" Ed and Al's shoulders stiffened simultaneously making Dmitri's brow furrow in confusion. "What? What did his notes say?" Ed shoved his hands into his jack pockets and looked away, suddenly finding the sidewalk much more interesting then the conversation that had sprung up. "Al?" Dmitri turned to the younger brother who was shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

"We were able to crack the code..." Al said, though there wasn't any joy in his voice much to Dmitri's confusion. "It gave us the secret to making a philosophers stone." A tense silence filled the air as Dmitri waited for Al to continue.

"...and? What's the answer?"

Ed clenched his fists inside his pockets, his shoulders tensing up as he answered her question hesitantly. "The secret to making a philosophers stone... is human lives." Ed glanced over his shoulder just enough to see Dmitri's face. He was a little scared to see her reaction; would she run away? So much has happened in the short time that they've been traveling together... would this be the last straw that finally pushed her away from them? He wouldn't blame her if she decided to take off-

"Huh..." Dmitri said, leaning back onto her arm's and looking up at the clear sky above them. "Human lives..." Ed and Al stayed silent as Dmitri mulled over the information. "...that's awful-"

Ed interrupted her briskly. "Look, I'll understand if you don't want any part if this-"

"-But I'm not all that shocked by it." Dmitri finished, cutting Ed's rant off before he could even get started.

Ed spun around on his heel, a look of bewilderment on his face. "Not that shocked- how could anyone _not_ be shocked by that information?!"

Dmitri shrugged in response. "The stories behind the stone are can turn anything into solid gold, cure any disease and practically bring the dead back to life, all with out suffering any loss on your end. It only makes sense that such power would require a large sacrifice." Ed and Al sighed, a little relieved that she hadn't run for the hills. "So what now? Knowing the two of you, you wouldn't use a method such as human sacrifice to get your bodies back."

Al nodded. "That's right; it's not worth being normal again if I have to take someone else' life to get my body back. That's why we are going to investigate Lab 5."

Dmitri frowned a little. "Lab 5? But it's been closed for years."

"We know; Major Armstrong informed us of that, but it's location and the fact that it hasn't been torn down yet raise to many questions." Ed said, rubbing the back of his neck as if it was stiff. " It's built right next to a prison that houses death row inmates. Our theory is that the inmates are labeled as executed, but are actually taken to the lab for testing."

Dmitri nodded her head, sticking her tongue out in distaste. "Criminals or not, that's still awful."

"Even if the activities have stopped, we hope to find some kind of clue to what Dr. Marcoh said about finding the "truth within the truth". It might lead us to a clue about another way to get our bodies back." Al said, hope evident in his voice.

Dmitri smiled and held her hand out to Al who was quick to grab it and help her up off the ground. "Sound's like a good idea to me! Just be careful alright? That place is closed down for a reason, it's highly unstable."

Ed waved off her concern. "Awe come on Dmitri, have some faith in us would ya?"

"Oh I have faith in you. It's those rotting floors and crumbling wall's I don't trust." Dmitri said, taking a peek at the moon. "Hmmm... maybe I should end my mission for now and tag along..."

"You're still working on that mission from the Colonel?" Al asked curiously. "I didn't expect it to take this long."

"Yeah, what happened to the simple mission you were supposed to be assigned? Sure doesn't look like you're picking up anyone's dry cleaning." Ed said, narrowing his eyes at her clothing suspiciously.

Dmitri rolled her eyes, flipping her hood off her head. "For your information, it was the only job Roy had for me. I was asked to investigate the fire at the First Branch, or more specifically, the person they believed to be responsible for it." Ed quirked a brow at her in a questioning way. "And you'll be happy to know that I've hit a dead end at every turn, which is good news for you!"

"And why is that good news for us?" Al asked curiously.

"Cause that mean's that Scar isn't in Central-"

"YOU WERE CHASING SCAR?!" Ed shouted making Dmitri and Al wince; they had been talking in relatively low voices, and his sudden out burst made their heads spin.

"God Ed, you don't have to scream my ear off..." Dmitri said, digging in her right ear in an attempt to stop it from ringing. "And no, I wasn't chasing Scar, I was looking for clues on weather or not he was responsible for the First Branch fire. I was on strict orders not to engage if I spotted him, no matter how tempting it might be to put a bullet in him." Ed grimaced a little, unused to Dmitri's bloody talk. "But I only have one more lead to follow, though I doubt anything comes of it. Nobodies seen anyone who matches his description, and the whole burning down the First Branch isn't really his MO."

"Well the lab shouldn't take us to long to check out," Al said, rubbing the back of his neck in thought. "Why don't you go check out your last lead while Ed and I go investigate the Lab, and we'll all meet back here."

Dmitri thought it over for a moment before nodding her head. "Sounds good to me; I shouldn't be longer then an hour tops, so I'll wait fifteen minutes for you two here. If you're not here by then, I'll come find you at the lab and help you search, ok?"

Ed nodded, opening his pocket watch to get the exact time. "It's 10:30 on the dot- lets aim for 11:45. We'll show you the notes and go over what we learn from the Lab then."

"Deal!" Dmitri said before hugging Al around the waist. "Have fun and stay safe! I don't want to have to explain to Alexander why I need his help digging you two out of a collapsed building."

Al hugged her back with gentle hands. "We'll be ok Demi," he said confidently. "We're only going to walk around a bit."

Dmitri sighed. "I know, but I can't help but worry over the two of you some times."

"Well stop it." Ed said as she pulled away from Al, sending a light scowl Ed's way. "We'll be fine, alright? Like I said before, have some faith." Ed said with a broad smile.

Dmitri sighed, nodding her head. "I'm sorry, I'm a woman, worrying is our past time, but I'll try to tone it back." Dmitri gave Ed a quick hug which he returned awkwardly, a light blush coming to his cheeks. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to this side of Dmitri. He'd seen her home maker side, and her playful side. Hell, he'd even seen her drunk when they were in Youswell. And her dark side... that's something he didn't wan't to think about right now. But this touchy-feely thing... he wasn't used to it just yet. But on the other hand Ed couldn't understand why he felt a little disheartened when Dmitri pulled away from him. If he always got flustered when she hugged him, then why was he always sad when she stopped? Should't he feel relieved? "Ok, I'll meet you two boy's here at 11:30. You have until 11:45 to show before I'll head to the lab."

"Right!" Al said enthusiastically. Dmitri pulled her hood back up and replaced her face mask. "You look like some kind of spy dressed like that."

"That's the point!" Dmitri said with a wink before she turned to the building Ed and Al had snuck out of, the Second Branch of the Library. "See you later!" She said as she started to scale the building at an alarming rate making Ed gape at her until she disappeared onto the roof.

"Did you know she could do that brother?" Al asked incredulously.

"Noooope..." Ed said, shaking his head with a small smirk. Just another side to Dmitri; a spider monkey. Oh, he was going to have fun with this one. "Let's go Al; we have limited time before we have to meet back here, and I'd rather not give her a reason to kick our asses."

"Right you are brother."

* * *

Dmitri leaned against the brick wall of a chimney and looked out over the East Side of Central; just like in the West Side, there was nothing going on. Even the bar's were closed up, with everyone opting for an early night. She had been looking around for nearly an hour; it was almost time for her to head back to meet up with Ed and Al. She wondered if they had found anything in that lab. She hoped so.

Taking a running start, she jumped across the ally onto the roof top next door, heading back towards the Second Branch building with her mind wondering every which way. Dmitri had been feeling a little off since learning of Ed and Al's destination, and for the life of her she couldn't understand why. Scar wasn't around, and Ed and Al were more then capable of handling themselves in an old, abandoned building. But something in the pit of her stomach was screaming at her that something was wrong-

"Mamma!"

Dmitri faltered, her launch across the ally way coming short as she scrambled to grab hold of the roof top she had been aiming for. When she regained her balance and footing, Dmitri gasped for air in an attempt to calm her ragging heart. She stood on shaky legs, looking around her frantically. She could have sworn she had heard a little girl calling for her mother. Had someones kid wondered off and gotten lost?

"Mamma!"

Dmitri moved to the front end of the roof, looking down into the street bellow. About a block away she could see a little girl, about 5 years old judging by her height, with light brown braided pig tailed hair, wearing a blue overall dress and a white blouse with matching shoes. She was facing away from Dmitri as she continued to call for her mother. The sight pulled at Dmitri's heart strings. "Damn it... guess I should help her find her way home."

Scaling down the front of the building, Dmitri made her way towards the little girl with slow steps so as not to frighten her. "Hey. You ok?" Dmitri called out to the child. The little girl stopped moving, her arm's falling limp to her sides. "It's ok, I'm not gonna hurt you. I want to help you find your way home-!?" The little girl turned around, her bright blue eyes and warm smile making Dmitri stop in her tracks. Her heart and lungs suddenly didn't work properly, and her knee's gave out from beneath her.

"Mamma, you found me!" The little girl said, her voice ringing through Dmitri's head like a hot knife.

"N-Nina...?!" Nina- or who Dmitri believed to be Nina- no it can't be Nina, she's dead. Dmitri watched with her own eyes as Shou transmuted Nina and Alexander into one being. Dmitri found Nina and Shou's corpses only moments after they had been murdered by Scar! "T-this isn't possible-!"

"Momma, let's play a game! Let's find big brothers!" Nina exclaimed, giggling as she took off at a run, her speed much greater then Dmitri remembered from before.

"W-wait! N-Ni- come back!" Dmitri shouted, forcing herself to her feet in order to chase after Nina... _no, she can't be Nina... Nina is dead..._ Dmitri went over the events leading up to Nina's death, reliving each moment as if it was happening all over again-Nina had crawled into her bed to take a nap with her, when Shou came into Dmitri's room and asked her and Nina to come see his finished product. They had agreed and entered the lab to find Alexander sitting on the floor like the good dog that he was. Nina had gone to Alexanders side, like she normally would, leaving Dmitri to stand on by the wayside, wondering where this 'finished project' was. It had all happened so quickly, all Dmitri could remember was spying the transmutation circle before Shou activated it, fusing Nina and Alexander together into a Chimera-Dmitri pushed the memory aside, switching to her waking up in the barracks with Ed and Al. She snuck out of their room in search of Shou and Nina, determined to interrogate Shou on her own. She opened the door to the room they had been placed only to find Nina and Shou dead on the floor, their bodies still warm, but they were clearly dead, torn apart from the inside out...

But what had happened to the bodies? Dmitri just assumed the Shou had been buried in the jail house cemetery, but what about Nina? Had Dmitri been to distraught that she had missed the vital sign pointing to Nina's survival? And if so, how was she separated from Alexander? Wouldn't Roy, who was heading the operation, have been made aware of Nina's survival and separation?

Nina dodged around a corner, making Dmitri push her legs as hard as she could to try and keep up. The only way to get answers to her questions was to catch _this_ Nina. Pushing her sporadic thoughts out of her mind, Dmitri picked up her pace, her eyes narrowing in determination. She was going to get to the bottom of this.

* * *

Al sighed, crossing his arm's over his chest as he leaned against the side of the abandoned lab five, growing a little impatient with his older brother. "Edward sure is taking a long time..." Al grumbled, turning his helmet this way and that. This building, despite being abandoned, was guarded and it was becoming more likely that they would be discovered the longer it took Ed to explore the interior of the building. "I wonder if he got lost... maybe we should have just waited for Demi. She'd be able to keep brother on task-!" Hearing the sound of something large falling towards him Al dodged to his left only to be partially blinded by a sudden impact that kicked up gravel and dirt, directly where he had been standing.

"Ah!" Al exclaimed, jumping back from the impact zone and falling into a fighting stance. "Who's there!?" Maniacal laughter responded, making him go stock still. Who ever this person was, he know it wasn't his brother or Dmitri, making his whole body go on edge.

"Not bad! Not Bad! Yer pretty fast for such a big guy. _I like it_!" The dust started to settle allowing Al to see his assailant. He gasped when the sight of a tall, broad armor clad man was revealed, with a beastly skull mas, long crazy white hair and black studded belts crisscrossing over their chest. He had leather guards over the armor on his forearms and legs, and a dark brown torn tunic that fell to his knees and was held around the waist by a tired black leather belt. In his left hand the man held a short sword, while I his right was the biggest meat cleaver Al had ever seen, it's sharp edge glinting in the dim street light whit ever shake of the chuckling worriers shoulders. "Since you were nice enough to ask me who I am, I guess I clue you in! I'm Number 66! Least, that's the name they gave me when I got this job! HAHA!"

Al took a firm stance despite the uncertainty this man brought onto him. He sounded crazy, and by the way this Number 66's hands twitched over the handle of his blades, 66 was itching for a fight. And while the attack hadn't been weak, this guy had to have jumped from the top of Lab 5, which is a 6 story building. The fact that he had jumped from there at all, and had recovered from his dead landing with out so much as a scratch told Al that there was something a little off about his new opponent.

"If you heard my _real_ name, you'd piss your pants!" 66 said, throwing his head back with a lunacy laugh. "I'll tell ya as I finish you off! I want to see that fear right before the life leaves your eyes!"

"Are you saying that you're going to _kill_ me?" Al asked. He would have frowned if his armor would allow him to, feeling a little more at ease. If this strange 66 guy had clear intention's of kill him, it would make fighting him a little easier.

66 crossed his short sword and cleaver in front of him, sliding the two blades together. "Geh heh heh- I'll have you chopped up in no time." 66 charged towards Al, who feel deeper into his stance. " **If you wanna scream, do it now!** "

* * *

Dmitri growled as the Nina look a like disappeared down yet another street. No matter how fast Dmitri ran she couldn't catch up to the five year old, proving all the more to her that something was amiss here. There was no way Nina would ever be able to out run Dmitri, especially for so long. Dmitri turned the corner only to come to a dead halt as 'Nina' stood in the middle of the street, staring up at what looked to be an abandoned building. "Stop right there!" Dmitri shouted, quickly transmuting one of her larger hand guns and aiming it at the back of the impostors head.

The Nina look a like turned around, eyeing the gun curiously before flashing her a devilish smile that nearly made Dmitri falter in her aim. Where once innocent blue eyes had been, menacing purple almost reptilian eyes now glared at her, and her teeth which had been blunt and straight were now sharp and deadly looking. "You wouldn't shoot me, would you _mother dear_?!" Nina asked, her voice coming out gravely and taunting.

Dmitri grit her teeth, trying hard to keep her wits about her. "Who-what the hell are you?!" She demanded, her arm's and legs shaking with terror.

The Nina monster snickered, her smile growing impossibly wide making a shiver run down Dmitri's spin. "Heh, I guess you really _don't_ remember anything from that place! And to think, Father thought it would be so easy to bring you back to him!" 'Nina' said making Dmitri furrow her brow in confusion and anger.

"If your trying to talk about Shou, you can give it up! I'm not stupid enough to fall for your trick, you monster!" Dmitri fired off a single shot which 'Nina' flipped backwards to dodge. When the bullet lodged into the ground a spray of liquid lead fountained out of it making 'Nina' quirk a curious brow.

"Pure lead, huh? I'm guessing its a concentrated dose that instantly freezes all function of what ever organ it hits! Not bad, but it'll never be enough to take me down!" 'Nina' said, turning back towards the building though she never took her eyes from Dmitri. "If you really want to know who I am, you'll have to catch me first _mother dear_!" With lightning fast movements 'Nina' darted into towards the building making Dmitri curse under her breath before taking off after the beast.

"Get back here-!?" Dmitri stopped when the sound of screaming and shouts came from the other side of the building. "Al...?!" Dmitri went to go towards the sound but was stopped in her tracks when she heard Nina's actual voice calling to her from inside the abandoned building.

"Come on _mother,_ let's play tag!" Dmitri grit her teeth, her conscious thoughts being pulled in two different directions. Al was in some kind of trouble, and sounded like he might need some back up, but at the same time- "Do you give up?!" The gravely voice shouted then, igniting Dmitri furry.

"Sorry Al..." Dmitri bit out, clenching her hand around her gun before darting into a small opening at the entrance of the abandoned building. "But I have to know..."


	16. Mother Dear: Stooping

Al grunted as he landed yet another blow to his assailant, Number 66. The fight had been going on for some time now, with Al dominating most of the fight though it was starting to prove difficult to keep the strange man down. 66 didn't seem to be getting tired, and he wasn't breathing in a way that made it seem like Al had the upper hand at all. If anything, despite Al landing more actual blows, it appeared that they were evenly matched.

Al took a step back, his heel catching on a piece of ruble and knocking him off balance. "Got ya-!" 66 stabbed his large carving knife into the joint of Al's right arm making him cry out on reflex despite not feeling any pain. "NOW TO CUT ME A SHOULDER ROAST!" 66 shouted, brandishing his meat cleaver. Al flexed his right arm, snapping 66's carving blade in half much to his shock, before Al slammed the heel of his left hand into 66's head, effectively knocking him down and forcing his helmet to go flying from his-

"What?!" Al exclaimed as 66 pulled himself up, reveling the inside of his armor to be devoid of an actual body.

"You fucker! You made my head fall off!" 66 exclaimed making Al take a tentative step back.

"Your body is..."

"Geh heh heh... there was a little _incident_." 66 said making Al take in a sharp breath of air. This armor, this Number 66, was just like him... "Let me tell you a little story. You may have heart it before. It's a story about a Butcher named Barry!" 66 reattached his head, grabbed hold of his meat cleaver and discarded his broken carving blade. "Once upon a time, in Central City, there was a butcher named Barry. Barry loved to chop up meat more then anything in the world! But on day, when Barry got tired of just chopping up cows and pigs, he found something _new_ to chop up- **people** ** _._** And so, he went out night after night in search of fresh meat. Eventually Barry was caught, but not before he had slaughtered 23 Victims! For terrorizing the poor people of Central City, Barry was sent to the gallows... and Everyone lived happily. Ever. After." 66 said, laughing darkly at the end of his tale making Al shiver at the blood lusting sound. "At least, that's the version that everyone knows. In reality, Barry didn't actually get sent to the gallows; some people spared his life on the condition that he guard a certain location. But first, they took away his old _meat sack_ and trapped his soul inside a _metal body_!" 66 laughed miniacaly, waving his meat cleaver threateningly. " **That's right! He's standing in front of you rght now! I'm Barry the Chopper!** "

Al quirked his head to the side. "Who? I'm from a small town back east, so I don't about any famous murderers in Central."

66, or Barry as he had just named himself made a sound of disbelief. "WHAT A HICK! Okay, so maybe you haven't _heard_ of me, but aren't you a little surprised by my body? It's not every day you see a living suit of armor!" Barry started to shack his arms in frustration. "Can't you at least say "waaaaghh!" or "aieee!" or "How'd you do that?! Freak!" I mean, throw me a frickin' bone here-!?" Al reached up and detached his own head, showing Barry is hollow interior. Barry screamed like a scared child, pointing a shaking finger at Al. " **WAAAAGHH! HOW'D YOU DO THAT?! FREAK!"**

"Hey... now you're hurting my feelings..." Al said, a pout evident in his echoing voice.

"Oh god, yer just another inmate from death row! Don't scare me like that!"

"I'M NOT A CRIMINAL!" Al shouted, insulted to be compared to the man that stood before him. He would never kill anyone!

"Then what happened?" Barry asked, sounding genuinely interested in Al's tale. Al reattached his head, being sure it was tightly secured to his shoulders.

"When my physical body disintegrated, my older brother transmuted my soul into this armor." Barry stared at Al for a moment before busting out into loud belly laughs making Al fume internally. "What's so funny?"

"GAYAHYAHYAHYA!" Barry slammed his knee, trying to reign in his laughter. "Sorry, sorry. It's nothing..." Barry stood up to his full height, placing his meat cleaver against onto his shoulder casually. "Buy the way... do you **trust** your big brother?"

"Of course I do! He risked his life to transmute my soul." Al said, showing his offence to the question. Ed... he was one of the few people Al felt her could trust whole heartedly...

"My, my... ain't brotherly love beautiful? _Even if that love ain't real_!"

Al gapsed. "What do you mean? Of course my love for my brother is real!"

"Are you sure you're _really_ brothers?" Barry asked, his tone taunting. Al clenched his fists tightly, his normally placid temper flaring violently.

"Of course! People say our personalities are totally different, and even though I'm the younger brother I'm taller than he is, but-"

"No no, that's not what I mean!" Barry said, cutting off Al's bold rant. "What if your personality and memories were all fabricated by you "big brother"?"

Al took a staggering step back, Barry's accusation stunning him. "Th- _That's not possible!_ There's no doubt that I'm a human being! My name is Alphonse Elric!"

"What the hell is a "soul", anyway? _How can you prove it exists when you can't even see it?!"_ Barry shouted making Al take yet another step back, his words shaking Al down to his very core. "Maybe yer big brother and the people around you are all lying to you! _Think about it! What proof do you have that this_ _ **human**_ _you claim to be ever existed in the first place?!_ _ **Where's your meat?!**_ "

" **What about you then?!** " Al screamed, unable to cope with the thought's that were spreading through his head like a wild fire. Was he really just a fabricated existence? Ed, Dmitri, Winry, Granny... everyone he'd ever met... was it possible that Ed had created him, and this elaborate back story to go alone?!

"You there, don't move!" Al gasped as the guard Ed and himself had seen before came running around the side of the building, his rifle aimed at Al and Barry. "This place is off limits!" Barry side glanced a the man, raising his meat cleaver and swinging at his head. " Leave immedi-" Barry sliced the man's head in half just above his nose, silencing his orders for them to leave. Al, despite not having a physical body, suddenly felt ill as the man fell to the ground, his body still twitching despite having the majority of his head removed. Barry ran his fingers down the length of his cleaver, chuckling darkly at the delightful way the blood shined in the dim city lights.

"What about me you ask?" Barry said, making Al's breath hitch. "That's easy! I love to chop up the flesh of living people! I love to kill so much, I don't know what to do! **I kill therefore I** _ **am**_ **! That's all the proof I need to know** ** _I exist!_** "

* * *

Dmitri cursed under hear breath for what felt like the hundredth time. The building was far more debilitated then she had first thought, with whole sections of floor missing and holes in the ceilings that went all the way up the building, allowing the natural light of the moon to shine down on her. "Where did that monster get to?" To make matters worse, Dmitri had lost all sight of the Nina look a like, it having disappeared into the building with out a trace. Had she imagined the whole thing? Thinking back of the conversation she had had with the creature before entering the building sent a shiver down her spine; if she had imagined all of this, it sure felt real.

The sound of fighting made it's way into Dmitri's thoughts, making her look around. Was there someone else in here? It hadn't taken her long to figure out that the building that monster and led her to was Lab 5, but she had assumed that where ever Al was, Ed would be with him. Dmitri listened closely, trying hard to pick up individual voices. Where ever this fight was, it was somewhere bellow her. Dmitri scoffed irritably and rummaged through her tank top, pulling out one of her vials and transmuting it into a large bazooka looking weapon with gaudy gears and wires covering it's surface. She jumped back and shot at the floor, blowing a large hole into it that lead down to the next level. Feeling the whole building shake, Dmitri held her breath, half expecting the entire place to come crashing down. She sighed when nothing happened aside from some falling dust particles and made her way to the new hole, shooting the floor of the next level down and creating another opening before jumping down into the abyss.

* * *

Ed panted heavily, wincing as the wound on his forehead throbbed and oozed blood. He wasn't doing so hot. Shortly after entering the building, he had found a room that looked to have been used to create philosophers stones. It was at that time that he met the hollowed armor guard, Number 48, or Slicer as he had been known when in his physical body. To say this guy was good would be an understatement, and Ed's automail arm was acting up, having slipped out of joint early on in the fight after he blocked a particularly hard blow from Slicer. He was going to have to do something to end this fight soon. He was loosing to much blood to keep fighting like this, and it was taking Al an unusually long amount of time to beat his opponent.

"Give it up boy," Slicer said, walking towards Ed with his samurai sword drawn, looking very much like a tiger stalking it's prey. "Even if your friend _did_ defeat my ally and is headed this way-" Slicer paused in his steps when the sound of an explosion made the entire building shake. "Hm, he'll never make it here in time." Ed smirked, turning his golden eyes from the ceiling to Slicer, a new confidence shinning in his eyes.

"You think so, huh?" Ed peeked over Slicers shoulder making the armored soul stiffen up. "AL! NOW-!?" Ed and Slicer both jumped back from each other as the ceiling above them suddenly exploded, sending debris flying every which way and leaving them both lost in a dust cloud. "W-what the hell? What now?!" Ed grumbled, coughing as some dust got stuck in the back of his throat. Ed heard the sound of metal colliding with metal, and as the dust cleared he could see Slicer on the offensive, dodging and blocking strikes made by a small blonde woman in a black hoodie, black shorts with a black mask covering the lower half of her face. "DMITRI?! How the hell did you get in here?!"

Dmitri didn't spare Ed a glance as she continued to attack the armored man. She had traded her bazooka in for a set of twin blades, knowing from the sound of the debris hitting him that a gun would be useless. Slicer shifted his feet and took a single strike at her, which Dmitri dodged effortlessly, flipping backwards and twisting on her hands, delivering a solid kick to his helmet, knocking it off. Dmitri then kicked his torso, sending it flying across the room, separate from his head. Ed ran up to her side as she relaxed her stance, allowing her twin blades to hang casually at her sides.

"Holy shit Dmitri, where the hell did you come from?!" Ed exclaimed, looking her over from head to toe. She didn't even look winded after taking on Slicer, which kind of irked him. He was a mess after facing off against the ex-murderer, and yet Dmitri was able to take him out in less then five minutes.

"I'll explain later..." Dmitri said with an annoyed frown making Ed quirk a brow at her. "Is he actually down?"

"He should be. His seal is in his helmet, so since it's not attached to his main body he shouldn't be able to move." Ed said as he transmuted his right arm from it's blade back into his normal hand. He walked up to Slicers head with Dmitri right behind him, her shoulders still tense from the previous fight. "Now then..."

"I have to say boy, I had no idea you had such an ally on your side. If I had I would have taken our fight more seriously, young lady." Slicer said as Dmitri picked up his head, smiling down at him.

"Yeah, sorry, but when I got down here and saw how beat up my partner was, I kind of lost it." She said making Ed fume and Slicer chuckle.

"Well, what are you waiting for? You still haven't destroyed my blood rune." Dmitri glanced at Ed who shook his head. "Hurry up and finish me. It would be an honor to die by your hand, little lady."

"Why bother?" Ed asked with a shrug of his shoulders. "Now that we've cut off the head, where your soul is, the body is just a lump of metal." Slicer grunted as Ed pulled him out of Dmitri's hands. "Plus, there's something that I need to ask you about."

"...the philosophers stone?" Ed nodded in answer to Slicers question.

"Tell me everything you know about it."

"Never." Slicer said making Ed shake the helmet a little, causing Slicer to grunt in protest.

"Cut the tough guy act. You're hardly in a position to argue, loser." Dmitri said making Slicer chuckle once again.

"I haven't lost yet." Slicer said making Dmitri an Ed freeze up. At the last second, Ed turned to glance over his shoulder which caused him to move just enough out of the way to avoid a direct hit to his stomach and kidney. Slicers body, moving independently of his head, pulled it's sword back, slicing through Ed's left side. Ed cried out, dropping Slicers head to clutch at his injured side.

"ED!" Dmitri shifted forward, bringing her twin blades up to block another attack by the headless body, pushing it back enough to give Dmitri time to retrieve Ed and put some space between them.

"Damn it!" Ed cursed through gritted teeth as he tried to stem the bleeding. "The hell kind of shit is this?!"

"Heh, nobody ever said there could only be one soul for one suit of armor." A second voice, separate from helmet, said from inside the armor body.

"Haha, I forgot to mention this, but when they caught "slicer" they found out there were two killers. We're brothers." Slicer's head said making Ed and Dmitri frown.

"So their head and body are separate? Lousy cheaters..." Ed grumbled making Dmitri nod her head in agreement.

"Can you stand?" Dmitri asked Ed, pulling his heavy right arm over her shoulder. Ed scoffed, accepting her help to get up before she released him, allowing him to use her shoulder to regain his balance.

"Yeah, but my automail is messed up. Something snapped in the shoulder, so I have limited mobility with it." Ed said to her under his breath to prevent their new opponent from hearing him.

"We'll have to make this quick then."

"Le's begin Round Two then!" The second brother shouted, charging towards Dmitri and Ed with even greater speed then before. It was clear that the previous fight had been fought by the brother in the helmet as this second soul moved with far more bruit strength. Dmitri stepped forward, clashing blades with the armor, grunting at the difference in force. Shifting her legs Dmitri was able to get a grip on his center of balance, pushing the large suit of armor away just enough to allow her to kick him in the chest. She felt his large hand wrap around her ankle, mentally cursing. "To slow!" The second brother shouted, throwing her across the room and into the wall shoulders and head first. Dmitri felt all the air rush from her lungs along with a bit of blood as she made impact, the wall nearly crumbling down on top of her when she slid to the ground.

"DMITRI!" Ed shouted in shock furry. He turned towards the armor to see the large man rushing him. "Damn it, you bastard!" Ed clapped his hands together, but before he could transmute his right hand back into it's blade, the armored man was already upon him, keeping him from being able to finish the circle.

"Not this time! _I'm_ not giving you a chance to transmute!" Ed narrowly dodged a swipe to his head, growling as his vision started to blur around the edges. He had lost to much blood, and was now finding it difficult to even move let alone fight back. The armored man, taking advantage of Ed's disorientation, slammed the hilt of his sword into Ed's wounded side making him double over.

"AGH...GG...GGK!" Ed practically vomited up blood, his arms wrapping around his abdomen as he slumped against a wall he didn't even realize was behind him. Dmitri stood up, panting for breath as she leaned heavily against the crumbling wall that had broken her flight pattern. She couldn't open her left eye thanks to the stream of blood that ran down the left side of her head, but she could just make out Ed's blonde hair from across the room and the dark shadow that was the second brother as he stalked towards Ed. A memory of their time fighting Scar in the streets of Eastern flashed across her mind, making her grit her teeth in anger. Like hell she would be that useless again!

"Damn it," Dmitri hissed, grabbing one of her twin blades and taking off across the room, her blade poised to strike.

"Brother, behind you!" The helmet shouted making the second brother turn just in time to parry Dmitri's strike.

"Get away from him!" Dmitri shouted, her one visible eye blazing with furry. "Did you forget I was here?!" The armor grunted as Dmitri placed her entire weight into another attack, pushing him back a couple inches.

"Irritating little girl, I should have made sure you were dead before moving on to that brat!"

Dmitri pushed off of him, swiping his feet out from underneath him with a quick sweep of her left leg. "That was your mistake!" Dmitri clapped her hand's together and slammed them into his torso, causing it to instantly explode, leaving the armor with no leg's, his arms flailing around uselessly. Dmitri made sure to kick his sword away from him as she stood up. "Give it up, you've been beat. By a _little_ _girl_."

"Brother...?" The armor said in a pleading tone towards the helmet.

Dmitri ignored him, moving around him to get to Ed's side. Ed grunted and started to slide down the wall until Dmitri caught him, easing his decent to keep from jarring his injuries. "Easy Ed, I've got you." Ed glanced at her with his left eye, his right eye nearly completely blinded by his own blood. Dmitri pulled off her jacket, ripping along the bottom edge and using the fabric to wrap around his wounded side.

"You're bleeding..." Ed said groggily, hissing as Dmitri tightened her makeshift bandages to try and stem the bleeding. "Shit, mother fu-"

"Sorry, but I have to stop the bleeding."

"What about you? You're bleeding too!" Dmitri rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to retort only to be interrupted by the armored brother.

"DAMN IT! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME, YOU LITTLE BRAT!?" The armor swung it's arms uselessly, trying in vein to strike Ed and Dmitri.

Ed shivered, totally freaked out by that point. "EEEWW! THAT'S TOO WEIRD!" Dmitri growled, smacking Ed upside the back of the head. "OW! What the hell Dmitri?!"

"Stop shouting and squirming around you idiot! Or you'll bleed to death!"

The helmet sighed. "I hate to admit it, little brother, but we've lost." Ed and Dmitri both glanced suspiciously at the lower body of the armor which still laid just a few feet from them.

"There's not three brothers, right...?" Dmitri asked, reaching into her tank top for another vial just in case.

"No, no..." the half armor said dejectedly.

"That was pretty amazing for two kid's." The helmet said. "This time you really won."

"Then this time you'd better tell me everything you know." Ed said with a glower. Dmitri nodded her head in agreement.

"That I cannot do. Hurry up and destroy us and leave this place." The helmet said making Ed sigh in exasperation, leaning his head back against the wall as his vision began to spin again.

"I wont be a murderer."

"Hmph. How naïve." The helmet said making both Ed and Dmitri glare at him. "How can you call us _human_ with bodies like these? I didn't tell you to kill his, but to _destroy_ us." Ed frowned deeply.

"If I were to accept that you guy's aren't human, then I would be saying that I don't consider my brother human, either." Dmitri nodded in affirmation.

"He's as human as they come, despite not having a flesh and blood body. To think of him as anything less would be to down play his very existence." Dmitri said, taking a seat against the wall beside Ed, feeling confident that the fight was over. "Hell, there are day's that I feel he's more human then myself, and I can bleed." Ed glanced at Dmitri from the corner of his eye. "Al's human. He think's, feel's and dreams just like everyone else. And you two are human as well. That's why we could not in good conscious kill you, especially for following orders." Ed shifted his gaze back to the older brother in the helmet, waiting for his reaction.

"heh...hahaha... hahahahahaha!" Ed and Dmitri nearly fell over in shock as the helmet let out great belly laughs. "HAHAHAHA! HOW IRONIC!"

"Big brother...?"

"Heh, my brother and I have robbed, destroyed and killed ever since we can remember. We've survived all these years, even though we were looked down upon and called soulless devils." The helmet sighed, regaining his composure. "Only now that our human bodies are gone and our souls are all that remain does someone treat us as humans." Dmitri and Ed stared at the helmet owlishly, unsure of how to respond. "You said you wanted to know abut the stone, right?"

"Big brother! If you tell them, _they'll destroy us_!" The armored little brother said, his hands shaking in sudden fear.

"They'll destroy us anyway for failing to eliminate the intruders. Plus, we've died once already... what is there to be afraid of at this point?" The helmet said to his younger brother in a somewhat soothing tone, hoping to vanquish his fears. "This will be my farewell gift to you, children." The helmet said, addressing Ed and Dmitri now. "I'll tell you everything! But please understand, as I told the young man before, I don't know much about Alchemy. I don't know anything about the philosopher's stone."

"Then what exactly is there to talk about?" Ed and Dmitri demanded at the same time.

"I don't know about the _stone_ , but I do know about those who _made_ it. Namely, the ones who ordered us to guard this place..."

Ed perked up, pushing himself forward much to Dmitri's displeasure. "Ed, I swear to god I if you don't stop moving-"

"Who are they?!" Ed shouted, eager to finally gain a lead.

"They are-!" Dmitri, Ed and the younger brother all gasped in shock as thin black needles suddenly shot out from a shadowed doorway, piercing the helmet through the back, effectively breaking his blood rune.

"W-what the hell...?" Dmitri said, reaching for her vials once again.

"That was too close." A sultry voice said from the shadows. "Now, now, 48. Don't talk about things that don't concern you."

Ed clenched his fists, readying himself to get ot his feet only to be stopped by Dmitri placing a hand on his shoulder, holding him in place. "Don't move." She said.

"What the hell Dmitri-" Dmitri shot him a very serious look that made him stop his protests.

"You've already lost to much blood Ed. If you move around to much, you'll bleed out." Dmitri said, moving to stand in front of him, transmuting two medium sized hand guns, aiming them both at the shadows where the voice had come from. "I'll take care of this-"

"Oh? So this is where you ran off too _mother dear_." Dmitri's whole body froze up, her eyes widening in shock as the gravely voice from before came from the hall. "Tsk, tsk... you're not very good at playing by the rules." Two figures entered the room making Dmitri and Ed's eyes widen in shock. "And the Fullmetal runt's here? That simply wont do."

The appearance of the two newcomers made Dmitri's blood run cold; she could tell just from looking at them that they were far from human. One was a woman, and a very attractive one at that. She had long, flowing black hair, seductive purple eyes, a large bust, tiny waist and flaring hips. The two black needles that were still shoved through the helmet appeared to be two of her own fingers. A strange tattoo was inked onto the hollow of her throat, the red ink matching the red lip stain she wore, and contrasting with the solid black sheath dress that covered her womanly frame.

The second one, a young man by the look of it, was smiling mischievously at Dmitri and Ed. He had long, spiked dark green hair and taunting eyes that matched the woman's in color. He wore a black crop top and a black skort. Dmitri's look of shock turned into a furious glare, her arms moving to aim bother her guns at the man.

"Monster." Dmitri spat in greeting making Ed glance between her and the newcomers.

"Hey, do you know these two?"

"Envy, I thought you were supposed to keep mother occupied." The woman said to the strange looking man.

Envy shrugged his shoulders. "It was annoying playing that pathetic child, especially since mother saw right through it."

The woman sighed, seemingly exasperated with his answer. "I suppose it's fine. She was able to save the troublesome boy from being killed." She said, flicking her wrist and slicing the helmet completely in half.

" **B-big brother?!** " the younger brother shouted, wriggling his arm's to try and get to the broken helmet. No answer met him, telling Dmitri and Ed that he was long gone, the blood rune being completely cut in half. "DAMMIT! We can still fight!" Envy smirked, picking up the armors fallen sword and strolling over to him. " _Give us a body..._ _ **give us a new body**_!" Envy raised the blade up, stabbing it through the blood rune making Dmitri and Ed gasp.

"Stop it." Dmitri hissed through her teeth.

Envy didn't seem to hear her, or didn't care what she had said. "Just shut the hell up before you say something else you'll regret." He said, pulling the sword out of the rune only to stab it again and again. "God! Do you realize what the two of you almost did?! You almost killed our precious human sacrifice, and you injured mother! You don't have any clue what that means, do you?!"

"Stop it!" Dmitri said, cocking her two guns. Why was she hesitating?! She had shot at him before, right? His voice was enough of a clue; some how this man before her had been _Nina_. Dmitri shot at Nina's look a like with no hesitation, so why now couldn't she just shoot him?!

Envy continued to ignore her and Ed, to preoccupied with taking his sweet time eliminating the younger Slicer brother. "Not only did you do all of that, but you were about to start revealing our secrets. You two could have totally wrecked our plans! Were you planning to make it up to us?! To mother? _Well?!_ "

"God damn it, I told you to fucking stop!" Dmitri shouted making Envy go stock still, his reptilian purple eyes glancing at her to the side. Ed glanced between the two of them, his brow furrowing in confusion. "If you stab him one more time, I _will_ shoot you." Envy pouted a little, but stepped away from the now silent armor, his eyes narrowing in contempt.

" _Fine..._ " Envy said with a shrug. "Since you asked _so_ nicely." Before Dmitri could blink Envy was upon her, knocking the two guns from her hand and slamming his fist into her abdomen. He grabbed hold of her shoulder, keeping her from flying back into the wall that Ed was now using to push himself up.

"Dmitri!"

Envy leaned in close to Dmitri's ear, a wide grin split across his face. "Don't think for a second that you have any control over me, _mother dear_ -"

"Envy." The woman said sternly making Envy glance at her over his shoulder. "That's enough. Father would be furious if you killed her on accident."

"Hmm? I suppose your right." Envy grabbed Dmitri by the back of her shirt, tossing her now unconscious body away from him. Envy squealed when a large black boot nearly made contact with his face, forcing him to focus on Ed who was standing and glaring furiously at him.

"You bastard!"

"Uh-oh, the little guy still has some fight in him." Envy said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Bummer. I was hoping we wouldn't have to fight. I don't want to get hurt."

Ed growled, clapping his hands together. "You sick freak! You started this fight, and I'm gonna finish it! I'll beat you so bad you'll wish you never-?!" Ed felt the joint in his right shoulder completely snap, leaving his arm to fall limply to his side. "DAMN IT! NOT RIGHT NOW-!" Envy took the opportunity to knee Ed right in the abdomen, hitting his square in the wound Dmitri had managed to stop from bleeding. Ed crumpled to the ground, wheezing and couching up blood.

Envy grabbed Ed's braid, pulling Ed up to stare right into Envy's smug face. "I was just kidding when I hit her. What kind of _monster_ tries to kill their own _mother_?" Ed's eyes widened in shock before Envy released him, allowing him to fall back to the ground. "You should be glad your arm fell off! Spared you having the living _crap_ beat out of you." Ed felt his mind growing fuzzy, the mixture of blood loss and just plain exhaustion starting to get the best of him. He was barely able to shift his head, his blurry vision settling between Envy's feet at the still form of his partner.

"One more thing, boy. "The woman said, though Ed couldn't pinpoint where she was by that time. "Don't ever forget that we _let_ you live."

Ed grunted, his fingers digging into the stone floor as he saw two shadows move to stand over Dmitri... _damn it... this is bull shit..._

"You were to harsh on her." The woman said, giving Envy the stink eye.

"Like I care." Envy said while poking Dmitri's cheek with the tip of his toe.

The woman sighed, once again sounding exasperated. "Well, then. We no longer need this facility to make stones. Let's just blow this place up to get rid of the evidence, shall we?"

"You sure it's a good idea to let the Fullmetal brat live?" Envy asked, glancing over at the unconscious Ed.

"Killing him now would be a waste, and it would make mother and father cross with us." The woman said making Envy snort in contempt. "We didn't expect him to find this place, but just knowing about the process of making the stones wont get him anywhere." Envy smirked, excited at the idea of blowing the lab to smithereens. "After all, we're already in the final stages."

* * *

Al narrowly blocked Barry's cleaver, grunting at the force that was placed behind it. It was like Barry had gotten a thrill out of messing with Al's head, his attacks seemed to be coming at Al faster and harder. Or was Al just to distracted- "What's the matter bub? You're slowin' down! Something on your mind?" Barry taunted, making Al growl under his breath. "Geh ha ha ha ha! Seems like even an _artificial soul_ ain't perfect! The tiniest doubt enters your big metal had and you have a _breakdown_!"

Al, his temper getting the better of him, jumped at Barry with his right fist raised, ready to strike the annoying murderer down. "SHUT UP! I'm not-" Barry easily parried his strike, pushing back against Al with his own forearm and bringing his skeletal face unnervingly close to Al's.

"Just accept it." Barry said, a smile evident in his voice. "You'll feel better that way."

"Y-you-!?" Al didn't have a chance to deny Barry's accusation as Barry punched him in the side, sending him to his knees as he slid backwards some three feet. Before Al could recover, Barry was on him with his cleaver raised high above his head.

" _GEHAHAHAHAHA! I GOT YOU NOW!_ " Barry shouted, swinging his cleaver towards Al's head. Al froze, unable to dodge or block. The sound of gun shots rang through the air, and two bullets went straight through Barry's hand, knocking his cleaver from his grip and allowing it to fall some six inches from Al's knees. "What the-!?"

"Don't move!" Barry and Al looked behind Barry to see Maria Ross and Denny Brosh with their guns raised and ready to fire at a moments notice. "Next time I'll aim for your head." Ross said, making Barry rub his head absentmindedly. "Now, be quiet and hand over the big guy to us."

"Second Lieutenant Ross..." Al said, feeling panic well up in his chest. Barry hadn't even hesitated when he killed the previous guard, what would stop him from cutting down Ross and Brosh?

"Who the hell are _you_ guys?" Barry asked curiously.

"We're the ones who are guarding the guy you're trying to kill." Ross answered, her eyes narrowing in anger. Barry examined his hand, letting out an annoyed grunt as he viewed the two holes left by Ross' gun.

"Aw nuts. Frickin' bodyguards! Just when things were getting interesting too!" Barry looked back up to Ross and Brosh, shaking his damaged hand about. "Shouldn't that security chump have kept out you riff-raff? Oh, wait... yeah, I chopped him up didn't I?" Barry asked casually, glancing over his shoulder at Al as if looking for confirmation. "Oops. My bad." Barry sighed, his shoulders slumping in exasperation. "This is starting to be a real pain..."

A low rumbling sound suddenly caught everyone's attention. "What's that sound?" Brosh asked just before an enormous eruption sounded from inside the building. "W-what the hell?!" A secondary explosion occurred, sending part of the exterior wall flying a mere fifteen feet away from them all.

"Sergeant!" Ross shouted at Brosh who glanced her way. "We have to evacuate!"

Al made to rush into the crumbling building only to be stopped by Ross grabbing hold of his arm. "What are you doing?!"

"My brother! He's still inside- LET ME GO!" Al tried his hardest to shake her off, but Ross held firm to his arm, even managing to pull him back a few paces.

"Don't be a fool! If you go in there, you'll be crushed, too!" Ross shouted, grunting as she used every ounce of her strength to hold Al in place.

"I don't care!" Al shouted over the sound of another explosion. "I can't just leave him-"

"Hello there." Al and Ross both gasped as a new voice entered their shouting match, their heads snapping towards the collapsing building to see a strange looking man walking towards them, seemingly at ease with the fact that a building was self destructing behind him. The man was thin and relatively tall, with long spiked green hair and strange purple eyes. Al gasped when he noticed the stranger was carrying Ed over his right shoulder and Dmitri under his left arm.

"B-big brother?!" Al shouted in shock as the strange man dumped Ed and Dmitri into a heap on the ground. "Brother! Demi! Wake up!" Al untangled them, taking in a sharp breath when he saw how much blood covered the two of them.

"His wounds aren't too bad, but he's lost a lot of blood, so you'd better get him to a hospital, quick." The stranger said, his voice sounding gravely and taunting. "She should wake up soon." The stranger sighed, shrugging his shoulders dramatically. "You guys should take better care of them. It'd be a shame if we lost either of them." Al was about to question the stranger who appeared to have saved his brother and Dmitri's lives, but was cut off when Brosh came running towards them shouting for Ross.

"Second Lieutenant Ross, what are you doing?! We have to move faster then this!" Brosh shouted, coming to a halt when he saw the badly wounded Ed and Dmitri laying on the ground. "What the-"

"Sergeant, give me a hand!" Ross shouted. Brosh rushed over and instantly lifted Ed onto his back. "Al, carry Lead! Hurry!" Al scooped Dmitri up, cradling her in one of his arm's as he and the two officers made a mad dash for the property line. Ross glanced over her shoulder to shout at the strange man who had brought Ed and Dmitri to them only to pause when she didn't see anyone around. "W-where'd he go...?" Ross asked herself just before the entire building imploded, crumbling into itself and leaving nothing but a crater of destruction behind. Ross shook her head, pushing the stranger to the back of her mind. Ed needed medical attention. Now.

* * *

The annoying wailing of her cousin was the first thing Dmitri woke up to. "OOHHH! MY SWEET INNOCENT COUSIN! I'M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU AWAKE!" Armstrong said, hugging her so hard Dmitri could feel that her back was on the verge of breaking. "WHEN I HEARD WHAT HAPPENED-"

"A-Alexander..." Dmitri managed to squeak out, her face turning blue from lack of oxygen. "...a-a-air-r-r..." Armstrong released her then, allowing her to slump back into bed, her body twitching as it tried to reestablish normalcy after enduring his affections.

"I'm sorry..." Armstrong said, true tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. "I was just so worried! I was informed of your mission by Colonel Mustang, and when I heard you were hospitalized, I thought the worst had happened!"

Dmitri sat up, placing a hand on Armstrong's shoulder. "Hey, there's no need for water works Alexander. I'm fine-" Armstrong hugged Dmitri around the waste, burying his face into her abdomen making her go stock still. His hold was over powering, but light as if he was scared of hurting her. His shoulders shook with his attempt to keep from crying, though the sniffles that left him gave him away.

"I'm just so happy that you're ok."

Dmitri smiled a little, hugging Armstrong's head. "Alexander..." Armstrong pulled away after a moment, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbing at his eyes. "Feel better?"

"Much better. I'm sorry, I know you're not one for over emotional displays-"

"It's ok," Dmitri said with a broad smile. "I'll let it slid this time. I should have checked in with you." Armstrong replaced his handkerchief with a last sniffle. "Where am I? This doesn't look like a military hospital..."

"It's not. Second Lieutenant Ross brought you and the Elric's to a clinic run by a friend of hers-" Dmitri sat up on her knee's, her eyes wide in worry. "Cousin..?!"

"Ed! He was badly injured- and Al, I heard him shouting- ARE THEY ALRIGHT?!" Dmitri practically shouted, the monitor beside her beeping like crazy as her heart raced a mile a minute. Armstrong held his hands up in an attempt to calm her.

"They are both ok-"

"Where are they?"

"Just down the hall- wait! Cousin, you should be resting-!" Dmitri jumped from her bed, grabbing her monitor and heading for the door. "Dmitria, you really should get back into bed-"

"Don't call me that, and I have to see them!" Dmitri said, exiting the room with Armstrong hot on her heels. "Ed nearly bled out, and Al sounded like he was in some kind of distress-"

"And they are both probably still recovering, as you should be!" Armstrong said haughtily making Dmitri roll her eyes.

"I'm not nearly as bad off as Ed was. I'm fine-"

"Dmitri?" Dmitri stopped so suddenly that Armstrong nearly ran into her from behind, her head snapping to look down a slightly darkened hall that lead to a restroom. Sitting on a bench was Al, his shoulders slumped and a sad gleam in his eyes. "What are you doing up?"

Dmitri ran as quickly a she could to him, wrapping her arms around his head. "Oh Al! I'm so glad to see you!"

"Uhh..."

"Are you ok? I heard you shouting before I entered the lab- I'm sorry I didn't come to check on you, I thought you would be with Ed." At the mention of Ed's name Al, looked away from her, a disgruntled sound coming from his throat. "Al? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Al said, his tone short which made Dmitri falter in her hug. Ok, something was defiantly up with him. He was never this quiet, let alone short tempered.

"Al..."

"Ed's in room 12. You should go see him." Al said, dismissing the conversation briskly. "He was asking about you the moment he woke up." Dmitri furrowed her brow, unsure of what she should do. She wanted to check on Ed, his injuries having been life threatening, but Al wasn't acting like his usual self... "I'm ok Demi, I promise. Go see Ed." Dmitri sighed in defeat before giving Al's head one last squeeze before letting him go and taking a step back.

"Ok Al, I'll leave you alone... for now." Dmitri said, winking at the end. Al didn't respond making her frown deepen further, but she did as she said she would and backed off, leaving Al alone with his troubling thoughts. Al watched her walk away from him, a deep guilt pooling in his stomach and mixing with his frustration and uncertainty. He hated being short towards everyone, but what if they were all in on it? If Ed really had fabricated him into existence, did he let everyone in on the secret? Or was he lying to all of them...

Armstrong glanced back at Al before he followed his cousin further down the hall. "I thought you said Al was ok?" Dmitri said to him over her shoulder as she scooped out the room numbers, looking for room 12.

"He didn't seem to be acting any differently until after Edward woke up earlier this morning. He was very distraught over the both of you, and refused to leave Edwards side." Armstrong said making Dmitri's brow furrow in confusion. Had the two brother's gotten into a fight shortly after Ed woke up? It would explain Al's annoyance at the mention of Ed's name. "This is the room." Armstrong said as they stopped in front of room 12. "Should I give you some *ahem* _alone_ time?"

Dmitri looked up at Armstrong like he had grown a second head, and Armstrong appeared to be very disturbed by what he had just said. "... why don't you grab me some food." Dmitri said earning a curt nod from Armstrong. "The walk might help you clear your head..." Armstrong turned and walked away, his shoulders very stiff and the back of his head red showing his irritation. Dmitri shook her head before knocking on the door.

"It's open!" Dmitri heard Ed shout from inside making a small smile tug at her lips. At least he sounded like he was feeling better. Dmitri entered the room, her eyes widening in shock when she saw Winry sitting beside Ed's bed, repairing Ed's automail. Winry gaped at her as well, clearly shocked to see Dmitri in a hospital gown and hooked up to monitors with bandages wrapped around her head.

"Wh-what?! Dmitri, how did _you_ end up in the hospital?!" Winry shouted making Ed go stiff on the bed. Winry turned to Ed, slapping his right shoulder in a scolding way. "Edward, why didn't you tell me she was hurt?!" Dmitri smiled and came to Ed's rescue.

"I was unconscious until about ten minutes ago. I wouldn't have been much fun to talk to anyways." Winry's eyes widened even further.

"Ten minutes ago?! What are you doing out of bed!" Dmitri crossed the room, taking a seat on the other side of Ed who had his face buried into his pillow.

"I wanted to check on the boy's. Ed was pretty hurt..." Ed visibly flinched when Dmitri said his name making both Dmitri and Winry quirk a brow at him. "And I didn't know what had happened to Al, since I thought they would be together..." Dmitri trailed off, making Winry give her a side glance. "Is Al ok?"

"What do you mean?" Winry asked, focusing intently on Ed's shoulder. Ed didn't even spare Dmitri a glance, giving Dmitri little insight to what might have happened between the two brothers.

"Well, I saw him on the way here and he just seemed... quiet." Dmitri said, leaning back in the chair and fiddling with the ends of her hair. "He acted like something was bothering him, but I can't for the life of me think of what that might be." Winry frowned a bit, putting her wrench to her chin in thought.

"Well, you two are always with him... so if _you_ can't tell what's wrong with him, then I wouldn't know." Winry gave Ed's right arm a rub down, tapping him on the back to let him know she was done. "There you go! All fixed up."

Ed sat up, his back facing Dmitri as eh flexed his shoulder. "Yes! Good as new! You're a life saver Winry!"

Winry rolled her eyes as she took off her work apron and gloves. "Just focus on healing the rest of your body, ok?"

"Yeah, yeah."

Winry sighed, folding her apron up and laying it over top her work bag. "I'm gonna go find so food." Winry said, giving Ed a very pointed look that made his whole back go stiff as a board. "Twenty minutes, Ed." Dmitri's brow furrowed in confusion as Winry walked out of the room, shutting the door and leaving her alone with Ed, who had yet to even spare her a single glance.

"That was... odd..." Dmitri mumbled to herself, thinking back to what Armstrong had said to her right before she entered the room. "Am I missing something?" Dmitri asked Ed, who seemed to be intent on ignoring her. Dmitri frowned, crossing her arm's over her chest and giving Ed's back the stink eye. Was he mad that she had brought up Al? Did that mean the two brothers _did_ have a fight? "You know, if you're going to ignore me you could at least tell me why."

"I'm not ignoring you." Ed said, his tone bitter making Dmitri roll her eyes.

"Then tell me why you wont even look at me."

Ed grit his teeth in aggravation, but refused to turn around. "Because I'm thinking, alright?!"

Dmitri's lips twitched into a tiny smirk, her eyes narrowing mischievously. "And you can't think when you look at me? How cute-"

"Shut up!" Ed shouted at her making Dmitri's whole body freeze up. He still didn't look at her, but that time Dmitri was glad for it. The anger in his voice was enough to put her on edge, she didn't want to be on the receiving end the death glare she was sure marred his face. "Don't- don't say that kind of shit to me! Not after I heard what those _things_ called you!"

Dmitri opened her mouth to shout back at him but came up short on words. So instead they sat in an awkward silence for what felt like forever, though it was only for a moment. "I... I don't know what you're talking about Ed."

"Bull shit!" Ed spun around on his bed, pinning Dmitri with a soul piercing glare and jabbing a metallic finger at her incriminatingly. "Did you think I would forget?! How could I forget something like that Dmitri?! I mean, that _grown man_ called you his _mother_! That woman did too!" Dmitri's eyes widened in shock, a cold sweat breaking out over her brow. It was true that Envy had called her as such, but had the woman as well? Dmitri had been so focused on Envy, on the way he spoke, that she hadn't really paid attention to what the woman had been saying... "What the hell does that even _mean_? Who the hell were those people?!"

"I don't know who they were!" Dmitri said, her tempter flaring in response to Ed's anger. Ed scoffed, turning away from her again. "I mean it Ed! I have no idea who those two were, but..." Ed's ears perked up, his scowl deepening a little. "That man, before I entered Lab Five, he made it seem as if I _should_ have known who they are." Ed turned his head a little, clearly interested in what she had to say though his eyes still burned with anger.

"What do you mean _before_ you came to Lab Five?" Ed asked, suspicion clear in his voice. "Are you telling me you've seen him before?"

Dmitri bit her lip, her brows furrowing in thought. She was positive that the strange voice that had come from Nina was identical to that Envy guy. It had the same gravely, taunting tone that made shivers run up and down her spine just from the memory of it. And Nina's eyes, her beautiful blue eyes; they had changed into reptilian purple, just like Envy's... "I'm not sure if it was him... he didn't look like he did inside the lab..."

"What , was he wearing a wig?" Ed asked snidely.

Dmitri frowned at Ed irritably. "No. He looked like Nina."

Ed turned around a little more, so he was able to face her more solidly, his brow furrowing in confused skepticism.

"Like Nina...? That's impossible! Tell me the damn truth!"

Dmitri balled her hands up into fists, shooting Ed an angry glare. "I am telling you the truth! Nina-Envy- what ever the hell that monster is, it looked just like her Ed! It had her face, her hair, her eyes... even her voice!" Ed scoffed, turning away from her again, unwilling to believe a word she said. "I'm telling you the truth, Ed! Why would I lie about this?!"

"You expect me to believe that that Envy guy, somehow managed to mimic someone? How can you even be certain that it was him, and not just your mind playing tricks on you?" Ed demanded, crossing his arm's over his chest. Dmitri scoffed, sitting back in her chair and crossing her arm's and legs angrily.

"Why should I bother to go on? It's obvious you won't believe anything I have to say-"

"Just answer the damn question."

Dmitri rolled her eyes, nearly at her breaking point with this attitude of his. Sure, she knew he could have a temper, but she had never been on the receiving end of it before. And he was damn lucky he was already injured or she would have thrown his stubborn ass by now... "I first saw _Nina_ in the Eastern end of town. She was standing in the middle of the road and-" Dmitri paused for a second, frowning when she remembered exactly what had happened. She thought 'Nina' was some local child who had gotten lost and was looking for her mother. Knowing now what she didn't then, it made her wonder how Envy knew of Dmitri herself, let alone her relationship with Nina... "She was calling for her momma." Ed's shoulders slumped a little, his brow loosening up and a sad frown coming to his face instead of the angry scowl. "I thought it was just some local girl who had gotten lost. It wasn't until I approached her that I saw exactly who it was. Or who it was _supposed_ to be."

"I thought you said he _was_ Nina. If he looked and sounded just like her, how do you know it was him?" Ed asked, his tone less harsh and more curious.

"She may have looked, sounded and acted like my Nina... but there is no way _my_ Nina could ever outrun me." Ed's eyes widened in shock, his head wiping over his shoulder to scan Dmitri's face. He couldn't tell if she was lying or not, but something deep in his gut told him that she was telling the truth. "I chased her all the way to Lab Five. When I was able to catch up to her, she had changed. Her eyes had turned into reptilian, purple monstrosities and her teeth had become sharp and menacing. And her voice... it was just like Envy's." Dmitri scowled in disgust, rubbing her arms as they broke out in goose bumps. "I was so furious that someone had dared to impersonate her. It was then that Envy referred to me as "mother dear", though I thought at first he was doing it to continue taunting me." Dmitri shook her head, forcing the memory of Envy's disgusting voice out of her mind. "I was so shocked when I heard that voice coming from Envy, that I hadn't even heard the woman refer to me as "mother". I thought Envy was just toying with me again." Ed opened his mouth to question her further but Dmitri beat him to the punch. "And before you even ask, I have no idea who or what they mean by "father" either. For all we know he's just as lost about all of this as we are..."

Ed closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment. It was obvious to him now that Dmitri was telling the truth, despite how ridiculous it sounded. But after seeing that strange woman turn her fingers into needles to stab something that had to have been almost four yards away, it wasn't hard to imagine that Envy would have some strange ability too. A new anger started to fill Ed's belly then, thinking over what Dmitri had told him. That Envy guy had have been watching them for some time to know enough about Nina to make a copy that even Dmitri would believe was real. It pissed Ed off that Envy had used such a fresh wound to seemingly lure his partner into a trap... "Ok." Ed said finally making Dmitri scowl at him.

""ok"?!" Dmitri stood up, grabbing Ed by the front of his hospital shirt, pulling him to be face to face with her. Ed's eyes widened in alarm, a cold sweat gathering on his brow. "That's all you have to say to me?! After ignoring me, yelling at me and accusing me of lying, all you have to say is "ok"?!" Ed grinned nervously, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Ummm... oh y-yeah, I'm sorry...?" Dmitri dropped his shirt with a growl, turning away and grabbing hold of her monitors.

"An after thought-" Dmitri grumbled many curses under her breath as she tried to untangle her cords, intent on storming out of the room. She didn't have to take this, damn it! And here she had been worried about this ass hat!

Ed watched her as she fumbled angrily with the cords of her monitors, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Now that he knew she wasn't lying to him, he felt guilty for yelling at her. If he had just done what Winry told him to do, which was to be patient, then this whole fight could have been avoided and he wouldn't feel the need to watch his back for Dmitri's revenge. But unlucky for both of them, he wasn't a patient guy...

Dmitri growled, getting more irritated by the second as he cords refused to cooperate. She was just about to rip the cords from her arm's when she was suddenly pulled backwards into Ed's chest, her lower back resting against the edge the bed with one of Ed's legs hanging over the edge of either side of her. Ed's chin came to rest on her left shoulder, and both his arms came around her taking the cords from her hands, quickly untangling them. Dmitri felt an intense heat raise in her cheeks, and her embarrassment was made only worse as the heart monitor's beeping escalated with her body's reaction to Ed's actions. She only hoped that Ed didn't notice-

"Hey," Ed said making Dmitri jump in shock. She could feel his chest vibrate against her back when he spoke, the sensation causing goose bumps to rise on her arm's. Hoping her blush was in check, Dmitri turned her head and shifted her shoulder's so she could some what see Ed's face, her eyes widening when she saw that his own cheeks were dusted in a light pink. "I really am sorry..." Dmitri frowned at him, her lower lip jutting out in a heavy pout.

"Next time you're having doubts just tell me, ok? I can't set things right if I don't know something's wrong to begin with..." she said. Ed nodded, his eyes averting to the monitors as if suddenly finding them very interesting. He glanced between the monitors and Dmitri, a curious light coming to his eyes. His curiosity soon turned mischievous making Dmitri narrow her eyes suspiciously. "I don't know what you're thinking, Elric-!?" With no warning Ed reached up with his left hand and brushed her bangs back, tucking them behind her ear. Dmitri's head nearly exploded and the heart monitor suddenly went crazy making Ed bust out laughing much to Dmitri's mortification.

"Oh damn, you should wear that thing all the time!" Ed said, wrapping his right arm around her waist as she tried to escape from him to hide her embarrassment. "Oh no, you owe me for the last couple months! This may not put me in the lead, but at least I'll know what works!" Dmitri yelped in shock as Ed spun her around so she was facing him, his automail arm holding her firmly in place and his left hand holding onto her right. "Maybe I'll stoop down to your level, it might be worth it to hear that thing go crazy." Ed said with a snicker.

"Edward James Elric, this is not funny! Why the hell aren't _you_ hooked up to all of this crap?! You're worse off then I am!" Ed shrugged making Dmitri sigh in exasperation. Ed chuckled, brushing the back of her hand against his cheek, his face breaking out in a huge grin when the pink on her cheeks darkened and the monitor went crazy again. "Will you cut it out!"

"No." Ed said with a bright smile making Dmitri twitch. "I'm just doing what you told me to do when we started-!?"

"HEY, ED!"

Ed and Dmitri froze, their eyes growing to the size of dinner plates as the both turned to look at the door. There, standing in the entrance with a shocked look on his face, was Lt. Colonel Hughes. Behind him stood Winry who was covering her mouth in shock and Armstrong, who had a murderous gleam in his eyes. With out thinking, Dmitri pushed Ed as hard as she could, knocking him backwards and off the other side of the bed. Ed landed with a yelp, and Dmitri's heart monitor nearly blew up as Hughes gave the two of them a sly smile.

"My, my so the rumors _are_ true! Ed, you sly dog!"

"AH! It wasn't what it looked liked, I swear- AHHHHH!" Ed screamed in terror as Armstrong came plowing into the room, shirtless, and snatched Ed up into a full nelson.

"EDWARD ELRIC, HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY SWEET INNOCENT COUSIN IN SUCH A WAY!"

"AHHHH!"

"ALEXANDER KNOCK IT OFF!" Dmitri shouted, her cheeks still fire engine red. "YOU'LL REOPEN HIS WOUNDS!"

Armstrong turned to Dmitri, Ed still held tight in his grasp and looking nearly dead. "Then it is best I do this here, where there are doctors to fix him up again!" Hughes was laughing so hard he was crying and Winry was trying hard to stifle her laughter. Ross and Brosh had poked their heads into the room, both of them looking highly disturbed by the scene. The medical staff had gathered at the door way, watching with dumbfounded expressions as Dmitri stormed around the bed, grabbed Armstrong and threw him over their heads and into the hall, unfortunately taking Ed with him.

" **I TOLD YOU TO KNOCK IT OFF**!"

* * *

After getting Ed stitched up _again,_ and getting a firm scolding from the D.O.N. of the nurses, everyone was gathered in Ed's room, minus Al. Dmitri frowned a bit, wondering where the boy had disappeared to, but decided not to bring it up. He was old enough to watch out for himself, and it seemed he wasn't ready to be around anyone just yet. "So Maes, what brings you here? I thought for sure you would be running around like a mad man what with the First Branch going up in smoke." Dmitri said, sitting in the same chair as she had been before. Winry leaned against the wall next to her, Ed was in his bed, Ross and Brosh stood next to the door and Armstrong stood against the far wall, holding an ice pack to his head and giving Ed the stink eye. Hughes stood a little to Dmitri's right, leaning against the window frame with his arm's crossed over his chest casually.

"It's been taken care of!" Hughes said enthusiastically. "I just made Sheska work over-time!"

Ed smiled sheepishly. "You're an evil, evil man..."

"Who?" Dmitri and Winry asked at the same time. Ed looked over to the two of them, his brow furrowed in thought.

"Huh, guess I never did tell you how Al and I got the research we were looking for. Sheska is a woman with a photographic memory; she had read the notes when she worked for the library and was able to copy them word for word for us after they were destroyed in the fire." Ed explained. Dmitri made an 'ooo' sound and Winry gave Ed and open mouthed look of shock.

"I've never heard of such a talent! Do you _know_ how useful something like that could be?" Winry said making Ed and Hughes nod their heads.

"Incredibly so- at this moment, Sheska is working on duplicating all the Case Files we kept locked up at the First Branch. She's a life saver." Hughes said, sounding genuine in his praise. "But there is another reason why I came here; I just got some news on the Scar Incident. Your bodyguards are going to be dismissed soon." Ed perked up considerably.

"Really?! All right! We can finally get the annoying chaperons off our backs!" Ed said, beaming Dmitri a smile that made her roll her eyes though she did smile back. Winry glanced between the two, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Bodyguards...? What kind of trouble have you three been in?!" Winry demanded making Dmitri and Ed blanch in fear.

"UH! It's nothing!" Ed said, waving his hands defensively.

"Yeah! It was just something the military did for all of us state Alchemists!" Dmitri said, her own voice sounding far more convincing then Ed's. "It's no big deal."

Winry pouted a little before she snorted and turned away from them, crossing her arms over her chest. "Figures; you guy's never tell me anything, no matter how nicely I ask."

"Don't worry so much Winry, I plan to write a book about all of this." Dmitri said making Ed and Armstrong give her wide eyed looks. "What? Between Ed's antics and your emotional outbursts, I'm going to make a killing. Comedy gold." Dmitri said with a smile, giving Ed and Armstrong the 'okay' symbol with her hand. Winry chuckled a little as she grabbed up her work bag and apron, slinging both of them onto her back.

"I look forward to reading it some day." Winry said, flashing them all a smile. "But for now I'll see you tomorrow. I have to go find a place to stay for the night."

"Why not just stay at the military hotel? It'll be cheap if you tell them I sent you." Ed said, leaning back against his pillow with his arms propped beneath his head.

"Military hotel? Sounds pretty strict for my tastes." Winry said dejectedly.

"Oh? Planning a rowdy night, huh?" Dmitri asked teasingly making Winry snicker.

"It's my first night staying in Central, so of _course_!"

"Gawd, I'm so jealous!"

Hughes pat Dmitri on the head making her scowl up at him. "Down girl, you'll be up and about in no time. In the mean time, Winry, why don't you just stay at my place?!" Hughes said making everyone give each other uncertain looks.

"Oh, but, I just met you and it wouldn't be right for me to inconvenience you-"

"Don't worry about it! My family would love to have you!" Hughes grabbed Winry's arm and proceeded to drag her out of the room, reminding Ed of Hughes dragging Sheska away. Winry glanced over her shoulder at Dmitri and Ed, uncertainty in her eyes. Dmitri waved at her, a sweet smile stretched over her face.

"Don't try to fight it Winry! He's already made up his mind!"

"Whaat?!" Winry said as Hughes pulled her into the hall.

"Have fun!" Dmitri called out before the door could fall shut again. "Ah, it's good to see him making new friends. Roy's a horrible influence on him." Everyone in the room nodded their agreement. Indeed.


	17. Therapy

Winry glanced nervously between Lt. Colonel Hughes and the front door they were walking towards, their arm's heavily laden with birthday gifts for his three year old daughter, Elicia. If Winry had felt bad for intruding on this man and his family (not that she had much _say_ in the matter), Hughes had informed her shortly after leaving (dragging her from) the hospital that today was his little girls birthday, and a huge party was planned to celebrate. And whats worse, Mrs. Hughes had _no idea_ that Winry was invited to stay with them!

"Um... Mr. Hughes-" Winry's weak protest was cut off by the sound of the front door opening, making her glance over the top of an over sized stuffed bear. What greeted her gaze was the cutest little girl Winry had ever seen, with big green eyes and sandy blonde hair that was pulled into short pig tails on either side of her head. Behind her stood a woman Winry assumed was Hughes' wife, Gracia. She was a beautiful woman with kind hazel eyes and short sandy blonde hair. The two smiled lovingly at Hughes as he ascended the stairs, abandoning the gifts in favor of giving Elicia a big hug.

"Welcome home papa!" Elicia said, giggling as Hughes beard tickled her cheeks.

"ELICIA! I missed you so much!" Hughes gushed making Gracia and Winry chuckle happily. Gracia then turned to Winry, offering her a kind smile.

"What a cute guest we have!" Winry felt her cheeks heat up a little, unused to such praise.

"Remember the Elric brothers I told you about? The one's that are traveling with Dmitri." Gracia nodded her head in affirmation to Hughes' question. "This is Winry, an old friend of the brothers. She needed a place to stay while she's in town, and so I offered for her to stay with us." Hughes then turned to Winry, motioning towards his wife and daughter. "This my wife Gracia and my daughter Elicia."

Winry smiled at them, clasping her hands behind her back sheepishly. "That you so much for having me."

"It's our pleasure dear," Gracia said with a warm smile. "Please, make yourself at home."

Elicia looked at Winry wearily, her little arms holding tight to her mothers legs. Hopeing to break the ice a little, Winry knelt down to Elicia's level, giving her a sweet smile. "How old are you Elicia?"

Elicia's lower lip jutted out in thought, making Winry squeal internally. How could she get any cuter- "Uh, tw- THREE!" Elicia said, putting up two fingers before correcting herself with three. Winry and Hughes both swooned.

" _Awwww~~ how cute_!" They both said at the same time earning a giggle from the three year old. Gracia chuckled as Hughes picked his daughter up again, gushing over her adorable baby talk.

"Are you sure it's alright for me to be here on your daughters Birthday? I don't want to intrude..." Winry asked Hughes as Gracia lead the way back into the house.

"Of course! The more the merrier, right?" Hughes said, leading Winry into the house with a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Welcome to the family!"

* * *

The birthday party was the liveliest Winry had ever attended, with all of the Hughes family and some of Gracia's extend family in attendance. Some neighbors even came, bringing with them a gaggle of children Elicia frequently played with. And everyone was so nice, nobody even questioned Winry's being there despite having never met her before. They really made her feel like she was part of the family.

Winry sat at one of the many table the Hughes' had set up, chatting idly with Hughes about his work for the military, when they were suddenly interrupted by Elicia running to her fathers side, hold a wind up toy mouse in her hands, her little face looking very distraught. "Papa, Papa! The mouse you gave me isn't moving!"

Hughes frowned, taking the mouse from his daughter and attempting to wind it up only to sigh when nothing happened. "Huh. I wonder if it's defective..." Winry held her hand out making Hughes quirk a brow curiously.

"Can I see it for a second?" Hughes shrugged and handed it over to her, allowing Winry to remove the bottom and take a look at the inner workings. "Yup, there's the problem. The gears are out of alignment." Winry said, pulling a small screw driver out of her skirt pocket. Hughes, Elicia and all the other children watched in wonder as Winry realigned the gears before reassembling the mouse, giving it a wind and then setting it free to roll across the table. "There! Good as new."

"WOW!" All the kids shouted making Hughes and Winry laugh. "That's so cool!" Elicia said, her eyes shinning in delight as the toy mouse continued to circle the table.

"Not so shabby Winry." Hughes praised making Winry's cheeks turn a light shade of pink.

"You a doctor?!" Elicia asked Winry, her's and the other childrens eyes shinning in awe.

"Ah ha ha! Not really, but you're close." Winry said. Elicia smiled and crawled into Winry's lap so she could play with the mouse on the table top. Winry's eyes widened in shock at the three year olds out going personality, but soon relaxed, wrapping one of her arms around Elicia's waist to keep her from falling off.

"You're Ed's mechanic, right?" Hughes asked while pouring himself a drink.

"Yeah. We were both born in Resembool and our houses were close to each other." Winry said cheerfully. "We've always been together since we were little so he's like a brother to me."

Hughes laughed, shaking his head. "Knowing Ed, he must have caused you a lot of trouble, huh?"

Winry laughed in response. "I wouldn't say _trouble_ ; Al was pretty good at keeping him in line, so I assume the same is true now. But they do _worry_ me a lot. He'll come back every once in a while and his arm will be completely trashed." Winry's smile faltered a little bit. " I came out here today to fix his arm- I didn't expect to find him _and_ Dmitri hospitalized with sever injuries. And Al seems to have a lot on his mind, too." Hughes gave her a small frown, feeling a little bad for the girl. "It was only two weeks ago that I made that brand new auto-mail for Ed, and when I saw it today it was in really bad shape. Not only that but his whole body was covered in wounds. It makes me wonder what kind of lives they lead." Winry frowned, uncertainty collecting in her chest. "But they never tell me anything about it. I thought that, when they brought Dmitri home, maybe I could count on her to keep me in the loop, but even she keeps her thoughts locked up. To be honest, I guess I feel a little jealous of her at times. Ed and Al, they didn't even tell me when they decided to leave town in get their original bodies back, but it seems that Dmitri know's them like the back of her hand... Maybe if we were _really_ family, or if I was more like her, they would be sharing their journey with me too..."

Hughes chuckled, removing his glasses and wipping them with a napkin. "It's not that they didn't wan't to tell you so much as they didn't think that there was a need to tell you about them taking off. They must have assumed you would understand without them having to explain everything, Winry."

Winry's frown on deepened, her eyes becoming down cast. "There are some things hat I need to be _told_ in order for me to understand."

Hughes chuckled again, a sheepish look coming over his face. "That's just the way it is. Men express themselves through their actions more then their words. They would rather shoulder their pain themselves, than cause their loved ones to worry. That's probably why they wont say anything about it." Hughes replaced his glasses, giving Winry a very reassuring smile. "Now as far as how you feel towards their relationship with Dmitri, I don't think you should be comparing yourself to her. You have to understand, Dmitri _isn't_ you, as in, she's not their _sister_. And, she has her own demon's she's trying to beat. They share many of the same troubles, and I think the three of them can sense that in each other. Dmitri's easy for those boys to talk to, because she's been exposed to and experienced the same turmoil." Winry's brow furrowed in confusion, but before she could ask for more details Hughes held up his hand to stop her. "I wont give you any details, as it's not my place to tell you. But you just wait and see, some day Dmitri'll need you to step in and take control over those two boys because there are some things only a _sister_ can take care of. And that's when they'll need you to be there for them."

* * *

Dmitri sighed as she exited her hospital room, fully clothed and ready to face the day. After fighting with the staff for nearly an hour she had been discharged; her head was the only part of her that sustained any lasting damage, and so she didn't see a reason for her to stay on the monitors. Not to mention, she didn't want to risk a repeat of the previous days activities. Turning to head to Ed's room she stopped when she spotted Winry walk into the building. "Hey! Winry, welcome back!" Dmitri called out to her making Winry turn around to face her, both of them flashing the other a warm smile. "How was your night with the Hughes'? Isn't Elicia adorable?" Dmitri said as she walked up to Winry.

"Oh god yes, her babble is simply to die for!" Winry said with a light giggle. "I just came to check up on Ed and yourself. Have you already been discharged?"

"Yeah, I really only hurt my head and they said so long as I keep it wrapped up for the next few days I would be ok. I couldn't stand being hooked up to those monitors for another day," Dmitri said, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink making Winry snicker.

"I bet not."

Dmitri and Winry started making their way down to Ed's room together. "Hey Winry..." Dmitri said making Winry look at her curiously. "Look, about the whole bodyguards thing... I'm sorry that I didn't give you a heads up. I know how much you worry, but I figured that it was up to Ed and Al to let you know about this stuff, and if they didn't tell you-"

"Don't worry about it." Winry said, waving off Dmitri's worry with a smile. "I get it, really. They don't want to drag me into what ever's going on. And while I'm not completely satisfied with that logic, I'm just grateful that they at least have you around. I'm not sure what happened, and I may never know... but if you hadn't been there, I'm sure the two of them would have been in even worse shape then they already are." Winry pulled Dmitri into a hug catching her off guard and making her blush uncomfortably. Winry was so much taller then her that Dmitri's face was pushed into Winry's chest, making it very difficult for the smaller girl to breath. "I could never thank you enough for being there for them." Dmitri tried to tell Winry not to mention it, but the response came out muffled making Winry pull back with a small squeak. "OH GOSH! I'm sorry, I didn't even know that was happening!" Winry said with a wicked blush. Dmitri gasped for air dramatically drawing curious looks from the staff and patients.

"It's ok!" Dmitri said, finally catching her breath. "Probably one of the best hugs I've ever had." She said with a wink making Winry giggle and shake her head in exasperation. The two started walking again, more eager to reach Ed's room now that they had broken the ice with each other. When they made it to the door, Dmitri knocked before pushing it open, not even bothering to wait for Ed's permission. "But really Winry, don't mention it. I'm sure some day I'll come crawling to you on my belly, begging for a vacation-"

"I never asked for this DAMN BODY!"

Al's roaring voice echoed through the now eerily silent hospital room, the tension in the air so thick it knocked the wind out of Winry and Dmitri as they stood in mutual shock in the door way. Ed's eyes were wide and slightly terrified as he stared down at his half eaten lunch with unseeing eyes. Al stood against the far right wall, his armor shaking in his rage. "I didn't... _ask for this body_."

Ed shifted his eyes to Al, a remorseful look plastered on his face. "I... I'm sorry Al... you're right. It's _my_ fault that all of this happened. That's why I want to get you back to normal as soon as possible."

"Is there really any guarantee that we _can_ get our original bodies back?" Al's voice as hard as stone.

Ed tried to put on a reassuring smile, though his eyes still held an indescribable amount of pain. "I'll get you back to normal. You've just gotta _believe_ me-"

" _ **Believe you**_?!" Al lifted up his hands, shoving them towards Ed and forcing his older brother and the two girls to look at them in shock. " What am I supposed to _believe_ in this empty shell of a body!? According to Alchemic Theory, human beings are composed of a _physical body, mind and soul_!" Al grabbed hold of his head, his armor rattling loudly as it shook in confused rage. "Memories are nothing but data, when you really think about it; it should be possible to artificially construct them!"

"W-what are you saying, Al...?" Ed asked, his brow knitting together in deep confusion.

"You told me once," Al said, lowing his hands from his face so he could stare with his blank eyes at his older brother. "That there was something that you were too afraid to tell me. Maybe what you wanted to tell me was that my soul and my memories are all _fake_ and that they were created _artificially_." Ed, Winry and Dmitri all gasped in shock, with all the color draining from Ed's face all at once. "Well, " _big brother_ "? Can you _prove_ that a person named Alphonse Elric really existed!? Isn't it possible that Winry, Granny, Dmitri and everyone else is _lying_ to me!? **_So "big brother," what do you have to say to THAT-_** "

Ed slammed both his hands down onto his food stand, making Al and the two girls jump in surprise. "You were... keeping that all bottled up this whole time?" Ed asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Is that what you wanted to tell me?" Al remained silent, the shaking of his armor having dissipated. "...I see."

Dmitri grabbed Winry's shoulder and pulled her out from in front of the door as Ed got to his feet. He passed by them, his head bent low and a deep frown etched onto his face.

"Ed!" Winry called to him as he exited the room. Dmitri pulled Winry back, keeping her from running off after him.

"Stay here. I'll make sure he doesn't get to far, ok?" Dmitri glanced at Al who was still staring at where Ed had been sitting during Al's melt down. "Come find us when you're done here. He'll probably go to the roof..." Dmitri said, her tone reassuring. Winry nodded her head, her tear filled blue eyes turning a heated glare towards Al. Dmitri exited the room, pausing when she found Hughes, Ross and Brosh all standing just outside the door giving her worried looks. With a shake of her head, she took off after Ed at an easy jog, the sound of a wrench slamming into a suit of armor from the hospital room matching her every step.

"You... **YOU IDIOT**!" Winry slammed her wrench into the side of Al's helmet with so much force that it sent the huge suit of armor toppling to the ground.

Al sat up, his armor rattling again though this time it was in terror rather then furry. "Wh-what are you doing!?" Al shouted in fear, gasping when he saw the tears that flowed freely from Winry's angry eyes. "EEEEP- W-Winry...!"

Winry struck him again, this time smacking the top of his helmet making Al say "ow" despite not actually feeling any pain. "YOU DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA WHO ED FEELS, DO YOU?! THE THING THAT ED WAS TOO AFRAID TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT, WAS WEATHER YOU BLAME HIM FOR WHAT HAPPENED!" She hit him again, growling with each swing of her wrench. "He used to cry himself to sleep every night over you, all the while suffering from the pain and fever caused by his auto-mail surgery. And then you went and said what you did..." Winry slowly sank to her knees, the strikes from her wrench becoming weaker with each hit. "What _idiot_ would risk his own life to create a _fake_ younger brother!?" Winry allowed her wrench to fall to her side, not having the strength to raise her arm again. "All you guys have is each other." She said, wiping her tears away with the back of her left arm.

Al looked away from her, staring off to the side as he thought over what Winry had said carefully. The guilt he felt inside was unbearable; he'd brushed off everyone since his fight against Barry, been closed off and cold as he questioned his own existence, and when he finally voiced his doubts, he was given the answer that proved his doubts were wrong. Nobody in their right mind would sacrifice a limb to create someone just to spend their entire lives trying to bring back a body that never existed in the first place-

Winry pointed at the door, her eyes set in a determined scowl. "Go after him!" She shouted making Al jump in shock.

"Um... okay..." Al said, almost expected her to start hitting him again. When the hand tools didn't go flying Al pushed himself to his feet, making his way to the door.

" _WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?_ _ **RUN**_ _!"_ Winry shouted at him making Al break into a nervous run.

"YES MA'AM!"

* * *

Ed leaned against the metal guard rail that lined the entire edge of the clinics roof too, his eyes staring unseeing into the street bellow. Dmitri sat some fifteen feet away, her head leaned back against the same section of fence and her eyes closed against the sun. The silence between them was somewhat strained, neither one really wishing to talk to the other, though Ed felt a little put off that she hadn't started to grill him for storming off. He half expected her to ask him why he hadn't defended himself; but what was he supposed to say to _that_? After a moment of nothing but the sound of drying laundry flapping in the wind, Ed couldn't take it any more.

"...What do I do?" Ed asked. He needed _something-_ someone to point him in the right direction. His greatest fear had been realized; his little brother hated what he was, and hated Ed for making him that way.

Dmitri opened her eyes, glancing over at him with a carefully guarded expression. "Is it true? What Al said?"

Ed gave her a hard glare, his upper lip curling back in a sneer."OF COURSE NOT! How could you even ask that question?!"

"Because I didn't know the two of you _before_ you lost your bodies." Dmitri said, unaffected by his anger. Ed scoffed, turning to back to stare angrily down at the street again. He should have known better then to turn to her for a straight answer- "To be honest, I don't really know what you should do. Though I know what I _want_ to do. I _want_ to find the creep who put those thoughts into Al's mind in the first place."

"What do you mean by that?" Ed asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Before I entered Lab five, I could hear Al shouting at someone. I assumed he was in the middle of a fight, but like I said before, I _thought_ he was with you," Dmitri said, an irritable frown pulling at her lips. "If I had just gone to him, he might not be the way he is now... I'm sorry."

Ed sighed, his eyes moving from the street to his miss matched hands. The sun shone brightly off his auto-mail palm, nearly blinding him which only made him frown deepen. "Don't be. I should have been more honest with him from the beginning." Ed clenched his hands, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. "When our mother died, I made a promise to Al that we would bring her back using the formulas our sperm donor left down in the basement. When the transmutation recoiled I lost my left leg and, Al was just _gone_..." Ed said sadly. "I couldn't stand the thought of losing him... I'm not sure how I knew what to do, but I was able to transmute his soul into his armor by sacrificing my right arm. He woke up to find himself attached to a suit of armor, with no memory of what had happened... I've always been afraid. Afraid that Al had blamed me for everything that happened."

Dmitri stared at him with hidden curiosity, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. "I don't think he does." Ed scoffed. "No really. I don't think Al blames you for what happened, not even a little bit."

"Then how do you explain what just happened in there?" Ed inquired irritably.

" _That_ was caused by someone else, and trust me when I find out who..." Dmitri left her threat to linger making Ed give her a nervous side glance. "Al's just confused right now. If what you say is true, which I have no doubt that it is, then he wont have a choice _but_ to believe you. It might not be today, or next week, but when he's able to look at you with his own _human_ eyes, he'll know you are telling the truth." Ed's frown let up ever so slightly, and his shoulders relaxed enough to enjoy the heat the sun placed upon them.

"So what do I do right _now_?"

Dmitri shrugged her shoulders, biting her lower lip in thought. "Well, you could always do what I used to do when ever I got into a fight with Roy or Maes about something." Ed looked at her expectantly. "Spar with him." Ed sweat-dropped.

"Y-you used to _spar_ with Mustang?"

Dmitri nodded her head, crossed her arms and smiled triumphantly. "Yep, but I was only able to _beat_ Maes once. And in hindsight, it might have been better to just listen to him..." Dmitri said with a nervous chuckle while rubbing the back of her neck. "Defiantly bit off more then I could chew with that first mission..." Ed snorted in a "no shit" way. "Either way, I think you should try it. It always worked to break the ice, and let both sides get out their frustrations; it's easier to talk when your not all tense."

"So beat each other senseless?"

"Yep. It's called "family therapy" or some shit like that."

Ed smirked and shook his head, silently happy that he had broken the silence from before. The same silence lapsed over them again, though this time neither of them felt the need to break it. How ever, it didn't last long as the sound of Al's heavy foot falls started to come from the stair well. Ed felt his shoulders tense up again, though he tried to remind himself of what Dmitri had just said to him; be patient. And beat the shit out of each other. On second thought, maybe her advice wasn't as solid as it seemed...

"...Ed..." Al said, his previous anger gone and replaced by sheepish remorse. Ed sighed- what the hell.

"Now that I think of it..." Ed said, kicking his slippers off. Dmitri quirked a brow at him, though she didn't try to move out of the way. "My body feels kind of out of shape because we haven't spared in a while."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Al said, sounding a little worried. "Your wounds haven't even healed yet...WHOA!" Al narrowly dodged a kick Ed aimed for his abdomen, Ed's golden eyes shinning with determination. "W-what-?!" Ed threw punch and punch at Al, with his little brother being to dumb struck to do much but block the attacks half way. "hold on a sec, big brother! Your wounds are gonna reopen!" Ed grunted, grabbing hold of one of the drying sheets and yanking it off the line before tossing it over Al's face. "AHHH!" Ed jumped up, kicking Al square in the face making his huge body topple over backwards, landing a mere foot from Dmitri's curled up feet.

"9.5." Dmitri said, holding up a crudely drawn score card. Ed huffed and puffed as he came to sit beside Al who was still laying on the ground with the sheet over his face.

"Only a 9.5? That's the first time I've ever beaten Al!" Ed complained, though he was still smiling in victory.

"...you cheated..." Al and Dmitri said at the same time as Al pulled the sheet off his face. Ed huffed and fell over backwards, stretching his arms above his head with his eyes closed.

"Shut up. A win is a win!" They all sat in silence for a minute while Ed caught his breath; damn, he really was getting out of shape! No more of Dmitri's cooking for a while... "We sure have gotten in a lot of fights since we were little." Ed said to Al, still smiling from the high of his victory.

"Yeah." Al said, his tone sounding a little unsure. "Now that I think of it, it was always over something dumb. Like who gets the top bunk."

"I lost that one."

"We fought all the time over snacks, didn't we?" Al asked curiously.

"Yeah, I don't remember ever winning any of those, either."

"There was the time we fought over our toys... I think I won that one too."

"Oh yeah? Well remember that time when we were playing by the rain river?"

"Of course I do. You threw me in!" Al said making Ed snicker and Dmitri giggle. "We fought during training at our teacher's place too."

"Yeah," Ed nodded, a nervous laugh escaping his lips. "That one was a draw because our teacher told us to "shut up" and proceeded to almost kill us both."

Al laughed a little. "Remember when I drew in your book?"

"Oh, I _definitely_ won that one."

"We also fought over who would be the one to marry Winry." Al said making Dmitri snort with laughter into her hand which earned her an annoyed glance from Ed and a laugh from Al.

"I don't remember that one. Did I win?" Ed asked, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"No, I won that one too, but she turned us both down." Al said making Ed sigh in relief.

Dmitri shook her head. "Now _that's_ hard to believe; Winry turned down _two_ cute little boys?" Ed complained loudly while Al chuckled at his older brothers discomfort.

"Will you _stop_ with the "cute" talk?!" Ed said, his cheeks dusted a light pink.

"Sorry, sorry, your right Ed, I'll stop calling you guys cute." Ed sighed, thanking god that she had finally listened to him- "You two _used_ to be cute, but now your two very handsome young men." Ed sputtered and complained, and Al full out laughed.

"D-damn it Al, who's side are you on?!" Ed asked, reaching up and pushing on Al's shoulder in annoyance. They all settled down after a while, the comfortable silence from before coming back. "So you really think all those memories are fake?" Ed asked Al out of the blue.

"...Sorry." Al said, all laughter gone from his tone.

"In East City, you told me that you would do _anything_ to get your original body back." Ed said, his tone growing hard. "Are you telling me that what you felt then was fake, too?"

"...No, it wasn't fake."

Ed raised his auto-mail hand over his face, a determined gleam coming to his eyes. "That's right. We decided that the two of us would get our bodies back to normal no matter what it took. We can't start doubting ourselves because of something this trivial. I'm gonna get better at fighting, and make myself stronger on the inside too!" Ed paused then, an uncomfortable frown falling over his lips. "And I'm even gonna try to drink milk... if I can..."

Al laughed a little at that, raising his fist above his head where Ed bumped it with his own. "Okay! Let's both get a lot stronger!" Ed and Al heard a sniffle from above their heads making them glance up in shock to see Dmitri sitting there with tears streaking down her face and another score card held in hand.

"15! That was so stinkin' beautiful!" She said dramatically making Ed and Al sweat-drop.

"What the hell are you crying for?!" Ed exclaimed, feeling a little nervous being around a crying female. "And since when does the score chart go past 10, huh!?"

Al sat up and started waving his arms around in a panic. "AHHH! We broke her brother! She's acting like the major!"

"WHHAA-UMPH!" Ed and Al were simultaneously tackle hugged by Dmitri, who had since stopped crying and was now laughing like crazy. "OW! What the hell?!"

"HAHAHAHA! I'm sorry, I'm just so glad you two are back to NORMAL!" Dmitri said making Ed and Al both blush. "OH, my sweet sweet boys! MWAH! MWAH!" Dmitri gave them bother multiple kisses on their cheeks making Al giggle and Ed's head nearly explode. Dmitri then pushed off of them, getting to her feet and placing her hands on her hips triumphantly. "Now come on! Ed should probably get some rest, and Al, I'll buff out your armor a bit back in the room. It looks like you got into a fight with a crazy wrench wielding mechanic."

Al started shaking again, holding his head in his hands. "It was terrifying..."

Dmitri laughed, offering Ed and hand up while Al got to his feet. Ed grunted as he stood, feeling the ache from his fight with Al all over his body. "You over did it Ed."

"Blah, blah, "what am I gonna do with you" blah, blah- I get it." Dmitri rolled her eyes, pulling his right arm over her shoulder to allow him better support.

"Keep it up and I'll lower your score to an 8.5." Ed gaped at her in horror.

"What?! You wouldn't!"

"Don't test me." Dmitri said with a sickly sweet smile that kind of gave Ed the creeps. He glanced at Al, sharing a "what the hell" look with his younger brother. The look sent a warm feeling through Dmitri's chest, the familiar action between them solidifying that any damage that had been done between them was now fixed.

From the door way leading onto the roof top, Winry and Hughes stood watching the three young alchemists, content smiles on their faces. "Mr. Hughes..." Winry said, making Hughes glance at her. "I guess there _are_ some things that you have to say out loud to understand." Winry said, the smile never leaving her face. Hughes sighed, and chuckled.

"I guess you're right."

* * *

Ed, Al, Dmitri, Hughes and Armstrong were all stationed in or around Ed's bed, going over the information Ed had dug up at the lab. Ed had sent Winry out to buy Al, Dmitri and himself tickets to Dublith to see Ed and Al's teacher. Also, they didn't want her around while they discussed their dangerous exploration of Lab Five. Ed had just finished drawing a crude picture of Envy, one that made Dmitri snort in laughter as she rubbed the scuffs out of Al's armor.

"Oh shut up, your to busy to draw it..." Ed said, holding the image up for Hughes and Armstrong to see. "So... I don't remember anything that happened after this guy kicked me." Ed said, pointing to his drawing. Armstrong and Hughes made a humming sound as they absorbed the image, making mental notes to detain anyone who looked similar to a palm tree.

"The woman didn't give us a name," Dmitri said, reaching into her jacket pocket and pulling out a pad of paper. On it's surface was a perfect representation of the strange dark haired woman her and Ed had encountered in the lab. Ed felt his brow tick in annoyance. Armstrong had been kidding when he said she was a _great_ artist. "But she was obviously in cohorts with Envy."

"Human souls trapped inside artificial bodies, used as guards... "human sacrifices"...allowing you to live... an individual named Envy, and a mysterious unnamed woman who claim Dmitri as their "mother"... mean while, we have Dr. Marcoh creating a stone for use in the Eastern Civil War." Armstrong said, glancing down at the table top that sat in front of Ed. On it were two pieces of paper, one with the strange tattoo drawn on it and the other with a transmutation circle Ed had seen in the Lab before Dmitri covered it with debris from the ceiling. "That ouroboros tattoo... and a transmutation circle for the philosophers stone." Armstrong sighed, folding his arms over his chest. "There are to many mysteries for this to be simply an experiment to produce the stone."

Hughes held his chin in his hand, his mind working on over drive to try and find a connection between the dots. "And the Laboratory is a dead end because it's been reduced to a pile of rubble."

"Are you _sure_ you don't remember _anything_ about that Envy guy?" Ed asked Dmitri, hoping she could shed some light on the issue. But he was disappointed when she shook her head with a frown.

"No, I've never seen him before that night, and even if I had, chances are he wasn't _himself_." Dmitri said making everyone in the room sigh. Hughes picked up the image of the ouroboros tattoo, examining it closely.

"We might be able to find something if we go through the criminal records at the investigations division." He said, though he sounded doubtful.

"And I shall see if I can track down anyone who may have assisted Dr. Marcoh with his research." Armstrong offered, feeling confident in his tracking skills. A knock at the door made everyone jump in surprise. Winry wasn't expected for another-

"I hope I'm not interrupting?"

Ed, Al, Armstrong and Hughes all gaped with open mouths and wide, surprised eyes at President King Bradley, who stood in the door way with a kind smile on his face.

"FUHRER PRESIDENT KING BRADLY!" Armstrong shouted, Hughes and himself falling instantly at attention. Bradly was a tall, well built man in his mid sixties with short dark hair, and one visible green eyes. He had lost his left eye in a training mishap when he was younger. He waved their shocked reaction off, the smile never leaving his face.

"At ease, gentlemen. There's not need to make a fuss." Bradly said. Dmitri waved at him from over top Al's head, earning a cheery smile in return. "Lead, what a pleasant surprise. I half expected you to be on a mission. It's nice to see you taking some time away from the field."

"It's nice to see you to, Bradly. How is Selim? It's been to long since I've seen the little guy." Dmitri said earning a shocked stare from Ed, and a disapproving look from Armstrong, both of which she ignored.

"Haha, he is doing just fine. He's in the top five of his class so far this year, and is enjoying his play dates with the other children." Bradly said, not in the least bit offended by Dmitri's informal use of his name. "He does mention you from time to time. I think he misses your visits."

"I'll have to stop by some time soon then." Dmitri said making Bradly chuckle lightly.

"You're always welcome in my home, Dmitri."

"So, what brings you here of all places? I would think with all that's been going on you would be swimming in paper work right now." Dmitri asked.

"What brings me here?" Bradly said, bringing his right hand out from behind his back to produce a small basket with a medium sized melon sitting in it. "Why, to visit yourself and Fullmetal of course! I heard through the grape vine that the two of you had gotten pretty banged up and wanted to offer my well wishes for your speedy recovery." Bradly offered the melon to Ed who took it with nervous hands. "Also... I hear you've been doing quite a bit of snooping into military command, Major Armstrong." Bradly's friendly tone was instantly replaced with a much harder, colder one as he addressed Armstrong.

"Huh? That is... I mean..." Armstrong said, unprepared for the Presidents change in domineer. "How did you...?"

"Don't underestimate my information network Major. And _you_ Edward Elric..." Ed blanched, gulping audibly as Bradly fixed him with a fierce, penetrating stare. "You're looking for the philosopher's stone, are you not?" Ed gave a side glance to Dmitri who caught his glance with one of her own, hers looking equally uncomfortable. Oh, good, and here he thought she would find this mood swing normal... "How much do you know? A great deal depends on your answer..." The whole room was at a stand still, with even Dmitri's hands coming to a quick halt against Al's shoulder. "...WAHAHAHAHAHA!" Bradly burst our laughing, the scary glower being replaced with a closed eye smile. "Just kidding! Don't be so uptight!" Ed and Al both made confused noises, and looked to Dmitri for some kind of back up just for her shrug her shoulders.

"I know that there has been some suspicious activity going on within the military lately... and I want to do something about it." Bradly looked down at the table top, spying a list of researchers that Armstrong had compiled. "And what have we here? Hm... it's a list of all the researchers who were involved with the stone. You've done quite a good job finding all these names." Armstrong looked as though he were about to be ill as Bradly picked up the list and started reading over it. "But you see, the whereabouts of all these individuals are currently unknown. They disappeared a few days before the explosion at Laboratory 5." Ed's shoulders visibly slumped at the news. Dmitri placed a reassuring hand on his upper right shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "The enemy is always one step ahead of us. And presently, even with my vast information network, I don't know our enemy's motives... or the extent to which they have infiltrated the military." Ed frowned, placing his left hand over Dmitri's. It seemed things were even bleaker then they had originally anticipated, putting them nearly back at the beginning of their search.

"Sir... are you saying it could be dangerous to continue investigating this matter...?" Hughes asked, sensing a rising tension in the room.

"Yup. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes... Major Armstrong... Elric brothers... and Lead..." Everyone looked at Bradly, his tone of voice changing to one that commanded authority. "I have decided that you are all individuals whom I can trust. I am giving you this order for your own safety. I will _not_ allow you to speak of this to anyone, or stick you neck in this matter any further! This is truly a case where you cannot tell friend from foe. _Trust no one_!" Ed, Al and Dmitri shared terrified looks. "You must be _discreet_ in your actions and assume that the _entire military_ is the enemy! HOW EVER!" Bradly paused then, his serious frown melting into a warm smile once again. "When the time comes, I will call on you, so make sure that you are prepared."

"Y-YES, SIR!" Hughes and Armstrong shouted, offering Bradly a salute.

"Mr. President!" Bradly's left brow ticked as someone called for him out in the hall.

"Has anyone seen President Bradly?!"

Bradly scoffed. "Oh no! My pesky bodyguards are back!"

Dmitri rolled her eyes. "You're the one who insisted on bodyguards Bradly, and you're running from them." She said, snickering at the ruffled look Bradly shot her.

"I'm not _running_ , I just... slipped out earlier without them noticing!" Bradly said, making his way to the window and sliding it open. "Now I must leave!" As Bradly slipped out the window, which made Dmitri snort in amusement, Ed, Al, Hughes and Armstrong all watched him out the window with wide eyes. "I'm sure we'll meet again. And Lead, do come visit us soon. Fare well."

"Bye! Thanks for the melon!" Dmitri called out from behind the men. "Well, that was a pleasant visit." Ed and the other men all gave her deadpanned looks behind her back. "Al, get back over here. I only got your right shoulder done." With a resigned sigh, Al returned to his spot on a small stool, this time facing to his left so Dmitri could get that shoulder. Ed crawled back into bed, sitting right beside her watching her work. The sound of the hospital room door opening made him glance up to see Winry enter the room.

Winry took in the pale faces of the men in the room and the happily humming Dmitri. "What's wrong with you guys? Even the two people standing outside are acting weird."

"Oh, nothing... a storm just passed through..." Ed said with a deadpanned expression, making Dmitri have to hide a laugh with a fake cough. Winry quirked a brow at him before glancing to Dmitri for clarification seeing as she didn't seem effected in the slightest. Dmitri shook her head making Winry pout.

"Just another chapter in that book I'm writing."

Winry sighed, shrugging her shoulders. "Well anyways, I got those tickets you wanted Ed." Winry said, producing an envelope and handing it to Dmitri much to Ed's annoyance.

"Hey, why do _you_ get to carry them?"

"Because I have somewhere to stash them, unlike _you_ Mr. Hospital Gown." Dmitri said making Ed stick his tongue out at her. Dmitri rolled her eyes at his childish behavior before turning back to Winry. "Thank's for getting them Winry, you're a life saver." Ed glanced down at Dmitri's hands, which were now devoid of an envelop and rubbing out a particularly nasty scratch on Al's shoulder. What the hell?! When did she hide it? And _where_?! She has no freaking pockets!

"No problem! I even used a bit of Ed's money to buy us some sweets!" Winry said, producing a box of sweet cakes from behind her back. Dmitri's eyes suddenly gathered tears in their corners as she gazed down upon the many flavors.

"You're an angel!"

"THIEF!" Ed hissed, though nobody paid him any mind as they each took a sweet cake. Ed jumped as a mini chocolate cake was pushed under his nose. He took it and looked over to Dmitri who gave him a half smile.

"Stop complaining and enjoy them while you can- this kind of thing is hard to come by where we're going."

Armstrong frowned, showing deep concern at the mention of their fast approaching departure. "Must you rush? Your wounds haven't completely healed yet Edward."

Ed popped the sweet cake in his mouth, nodding his head vigorously. "I can't stay in a place that smells like disinfectant forever! We're leaving tomorrow." He said, snagging another sweet cake from the box that was now sitting in Dmitri's lap.

"Where are you going?" Hughes asked curiously.

"Dublith." Dmitri answered, stealing Ed's sweet cake from his fingers before he could eat it and shoving in her mouth making Ed gawk at her. "I think Al has a map, so we can show you where it is." Dmitri said, feigning innocence and ignoring Ed's irritable glare as he grabbed another sweet cake, carefully guarding it from her. Al reached into his chest plate, pulling out a map of Amestris and unfolding it for the others to see. Dmitri reached over his shoulder and pointed out Dublith. "It's right around here, in the middle of the southern region-"

Winry let out a girlish squeal that nearly made Dmitri drop the box she was so startled. Ed barely kept from falling off the bed in his shock, his ears ringing from the high pitched sound. "OH MY GOD! LOOK! HERE-" Winry pointed on the map to a city just before Dublith on the road, Rush Valley. "RIGHT HERE!" Dmitri smiled, instantly understanding Winry's excitement.

"Rush Valley? I heard it's a pretty cool place." Dmitri said, giving a side wink to Ed who looked confused.

"What is it now?"

Winry got stars in her eyes, and practically danced as she answered. "Rush Valley, the auto-mail engineers' mecca!" Winry nearly swooned onto the bed, resting her head on Dmitri's shoulder making the smaller girl laugh. "I've always wanted to go there!"

"You wanna come with us?" Dmitri said at the same time that Ed said, "No way. Take yourself." Dmitri turned and gave Ed an annoyed look which he returned with one of his own.

"No. We wont have time to stop anyways."

"Lies. We'll have _plenty_ of time to stop, its not like your teacher _knows_ we're coming." Dmitri said making Ed fume- she had him there, it's not like they were on a time schedule, but with how dangerous their last excursion was... "I'll pay your way there Winry. It will be nice to have another woman around for a while." Hearing that, Ed sighed, his last argument being beaten before he could even bring up the fact that Winry couldn't pay her own way. Winry squealed again, much more gently this time and enveloped Dmitri in a bone crushing hug.

"THANK YOU! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!" Winry said, before bounding towards the door. "I've gotta call Granny and tell her the news!" They could hear Winry celebrating all the way down the hall making all of them laugh a little. Well everyone except for Ed.

"God, why did you do that?" Ed said, falling back onto his pillow and laying his left arm over his eyes. "You know Scar is still out there right? And what if Envy decides to "check in" on us, huh?" Dmitri rubbed his left knee reassuringly making Ed's cheeks turn red.

"Ed, you worry to much. Nobody has seen Scar since the incident in Eastern, and Envy was upset that we were even in the Laboratory. So long as we keep our noses clean, we'll be _fine_!"

Ed sighed, still not happy about the situation. "Fine, but she's _your_ responsibility. If ANYTHING happens, you have to get her _out_ , ok?"

"Deal!" Dmitri scrubbed Al's shoulder one final time before jumping off the bed and stretching her arms above her head. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take Winry to get her ticket and then take her around the city." Ed rolled his eyes, not that anyone could see it behind his arm- "Don't roll your eyes at me, it's been a long time since I've hung out with another girl." Ed peeked out from under his arm, his eyes wide in shock. Hughes and Al tried hard to stifle their laughter while Armstrong looked rather uncomfortable with their interactions. Dmitri didn't even spare Ed a glance as she re-braided her hair, only turning towards him when had finished her task. "Now, rest up, we have a long ride ahead of us tomorrow." Dmitri leaned over and gave him a quick kiss to the cheek, and much to his surprise he wasn't embarrassed by the act though his cheeks still tinged pink. And he felt no flips in his stomach, but a strange yet pleasant warmth that spread from where her lips and touched him all the way down to his toes. The feeling left him stumped, as he hadn't been expecting himself to react like that... Dmitri made her rounds, hugging Al's helmet, getting nearly broken in half by Armstrong and getting a friendly one armed hug from Hughes before dashing from the room, clearly excited by the prospect of "girl time".

"They both seem pretty excited for this trip." Al commented, righting his helmet as it has gone askew due to Dmitri's hug. Hughes nodded his head in agreement.

"Yep. Good luck Ed, look's like you'll have your hands full with those two." Hughes said, turning to give Ed a broad smile. He straightened out his face how ever when he noticed Ed hadn't even heard him as he was to lost in thought, lightly touching the spot Dmitri had just kissed. Hughes gave Al a knowing smile as he walked across the room, slapping a hand on Ed's shoulder making him nearly jump out of his skin. "Well Ed, it's good to see you've found yourself a good wife!" Ed nearly passed out from blushing so intensely, his mouth flapping open and closed like a fish in denial. "Yep, Lead's turning into excellent marriage material-"

"D-DON'T TELL ME STUFF LIKE THAT!"


	18. Stealing Candy From A Baby

"We're going to Rush Valley~~ We're going to Rush Valley~~" Winry sang as she skipped arm in arm with Dmitri through the train station. Al chuckled nervously as him and Ed followed after the two women, their group receiving many strange looks from the other train goers. Ed's brow ticked in time with the two's women's skipping feet; how could they be so excited for a twenty four hour train ride to some dust bowl town? And at seven in the morning!

"Would you two tone it down? People are starting to think we're escaped from some kind of mental institution!" Ed shouted at Winry and Dmitri who promptly ignored him as they hurried onto the platform. He sighed as Al and himself followed after the two excited teenage girls. They were surprised to find Dmitri and Winry half way through the crowd talking to Brosh, Ross, Major Armstrong and Hughes' wife and daughter Gracia and Elicia. "What's up?" Ed asked suspiciously as he eyed his so called bodyguards; they weren't going to send the damn Major with him again, were they?

"We've come to see you off!" Brosh said enthusiastically.

"OH, MY SWEET INNOCENT COUSIN!" Armstrong exclaimed as he pushed his way between Brosh and Ross in order to pull Dmitri into a crushing embrace. "I can hardly stand to see you off! Please remember to write to me so that I might know you're still alive!" Dmitri struggled to breath, her arms and legs flailing uselessly as Armstrong lowered her onto the ground.

"M-my-s-spine..." Dmitri whispered as she leaned heavily on Winry's shoulder. Armstrong sobbed openly while everyone else laughed at the twos antics. A moment later Gracia turned to Winry and handed her a small basket.

"Here; something to tide you over during your long trip." Gracia said, breaking Dmitri from her breathless state so she could sniff the basket. An excited smile broke out over her face and her mouth started to water. "Hughes wanted to be here, but he's so behind on work these days he just couldn't pull himself away."

Dmitri waved off Gracia's apology with a smile. "Tell him not to worry about it; we know how hectic this job can get at times-" At that moment a loud whistle from their train sounded making Ed pull out his watch to catch the time.

"Hey, not to be rude but our train's leaving, like, now!" He exclaimed before grabbing Dmitri's arm and dragging her towards the train. Winry and Al followed close behind, the four of them boarding just as the final whistle blew and the train's wheels started to groan in protest as their breaks were released. Ed let out a relieved breath as the train jolted beneath their feet. "That was close..."

* * *

Ed and Al gave each other sidelong glances as they followed Dmitri and Winry through the train. They were passing up _many_ empty booths, all of which had more then enough space for their group of four to sit. But Winry and Dmitri didn't even spare them a glance as they walked further and further down the train. Eventually Ed started to feel irritated; what the hell were these two up to?!

"Ok, mind telling me what's been wrong with the last _hundred_ booths we've passed by?!" He said, finally reaching the end of his patients.

Dmitri rolled her eyes and glanced at him over her shoulder. "Keep your damn pants on, we're not sitting in a booth for this ride." She said making Ed and Al give her curious and slightly disgruntled looks. "We're taking cabins for tonight; there's no way all four of us could get a wink of sleep sitting on those hard benches." Dmitri said as they passed into yet another car, though this one had a long narrow walk way with tall wall's and six doors along it's length. She pulled their tickets from out of thin air (Ed swore up and down he was going to figure out where she was hiding this stuff) and looked at them, reading their room numbers. "Sweet! We're right next door to each other!" She stopped half way down the hall in front of a door that said 4A and handed Ed two of the tickets. "Here, this is your's and Al's room. Winry and I will be right across the hall from you." She motioned with her thumb over her shoulder, signaling to a door that read 3A.

Ed frowned a little as he glanced between the two rooms; he wasn't to sure about all of this. Al, sensing his brothers uncertainty, decided to speak up. "Why are we sleeping in separate cabins?" Al asked curiously. "Wouldn't it be safer if we all staid together?"

Winry placed her hands on her hips, giving the two boys a stern look. "You can't share a room with _girls!_ And besides, each room only has one bed- there's no _way_ all three of us could fit!" She protested making Ed scowl at her.

"You make it sound like something dirty might happen..." He grumbled making Winry give him the stink eye. He rubbed the back of his neck irritably. "Fine! We'll sleep separately; but just know that I don-"

Dmitri leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing Winry and dragging her into their room. "Thanks Ed! We'll be over in a bit to meet up for food!" She shouted as she slammed their door shut, the audible sound of a fastened lock following shortly after.

Ed stared after them irritably before he huffed and turned to enter his and Al's room, tossing his suitcase on the bed with a grunt. The room was pretty good sized for a train cabin, with at least three feet of room on all sides of the double sized bed. The walls were plan and tan in color, the floor wooden and the bedding stark white. At least it looked clean... "Can you believe this Al? What the hell were they thinking?!" He asked his younger brother who had taken to sitting on the other side of the bed.

"Awe come on Ed, it's not _that_ bad, is it? At least you'll get to sleep in a bed instead of sitting up on those hard benches all night." Al said, trying hard to see the bright side though he knew it wasn't the bed his older brother was complaining about. He was a little worried himself.

Ed sighed, taking off his red coat and laying it across his suit case. "You know that's not what I mean; we shouldn't be staying in separate rooms. Scar is still at large, and what about those weirdos from the lab? I'm pretty sure they've been following us for a while, and that Envy freak can turn into _anybody_ he want's; who's to say he's not on the train right now, waiting for us to drop our guards?" Ed groaned and flopped onto the bed. "And to make it worse, Winry's here and I don't wan't her to get involved. It's bad enough that Dmitri's always in danger because of us, I _refuse_ to let Winry get dragged into the fire too."

They sat in silence for a while, both of their minds going crazy with every possible worst case scenario that could go down while on that train, and each one was bloodier then the last. Al sighed and shook his head in an attempt to rid himself of the troubling thoughts. "Brother, we can't live our lives in fear of what might happen. Sure, there are a lot of scary people out there, but if we try to do everything we can to avoid those people we'll end up doing nothing at all." Al turned then to look at his older brother who was pouting up at the ceiling. "And besides, Dmitri's not as breakable as she looks. She can hold her own, at least long enough for us to show up. She did save you from those slicer brothers, right?"

Ed groaned and rubbed his face with his left hand. "Don't remind me..." He said making Al roll his eyes. "That was so embarrassing! I was getting my ass handed to me on a silver platter and then she showed up and beat him with out breaking a sweat! Sure, she caught him off guard, but still!"

Al laughed a little at his brothers expense making Ad shoot him an annoyed look. "Jeeze brother, isn't the boy supposed to save the girl?" Ed growled and threw a pillow from the top of the bed at Al, hitting him square in the face which only made Al laugh harder. "Then I don't think we should be worried; Demi can obviously handle herself in a fight. I think everything will be just fine; it is only for one night."

Ed sighed, his irritation towards his brother waning as quickly as it had appeared. "Yeah, I know you're right..."

Al leaned over so he was helmet to face with Ed, a curious hum leaving him that made Ed quirk a brow in response. "Or is there _another_ reason you wanted to share a room with them? Hmmmmmmmm?" Ed scowled up at him, pushing his younger brother's face out of his own with a bit of effort.

"Shut up! That's got nothing to do with it!" Ed said defensively as he sat up and started removing his black jacket; the train was suddenly to warm. Ed huffed in annoyance and ran his left hand through his bangs, a deep frown falling onto his face. What the hell was wrong with him? Ever since the fight he'd gotten into (*cough*started*cough*) with Dmitri at the hospital-"Shit..." Ed grumbled under his breath before her pushed himself up off the bed.

Al watched Ed as he rummaged through his suit case, the sudden change in his elder brother worrying the 14 year old Al. "Hey Ed, I'm sorry..." Al said making Ed pause in his rummaging to give a curious look to his younger brother. "I shouldn't have teased you like that."

Ed sighed before turning back to the suit case and pulling out a clean plain black tank top to change into. "Don't Al; you have nothing to apologize for. It's not _you_ I'm mad at." He said as he pulled his dirty tank top over his head.

"Then, what are you upset about?" Ed stopped all movement making Al panic once again. "N-not that you _have_ to tell me! B-but, you know you can tell me anything brother... right?" Al said as Ed slowly slipped on the new shirt. "I mean, I'll listen to what ever you have to say, and I won't judge you or tell anyone. But... I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong."

Ed groaned, grabbing his head in his hands and ruffling this hair up in aggravation; why did Al have to say practically the same thing Dmitri did after their fight?! "Damn it all Al, that's just it; I don't _know_ what's wrong! I don't know what it is, why it happened or even _how_ it happened- I can't even figure out where I should begin!"

Al made a sound of surprise as he watched his brother struggle with his own thoughts. It wasn't normal for Ed to lose his cool- ok, so Ed lost his cool _a lot_ , but never like this! Sure, Ed had a temper on him and he was the most stubborn person Al knew, but Ed _always_ had his wits about him. "Wow... that sound's horrible." Al said, trying hard to bring his older brother some comfort.

Ed sighed, letting his hands fall from his hair. "But it's not Al, and that's the weirdest part; it bothers the shit out of me that I don't know what it is, but it's _wonderful_." Ed fell back onto the floor, his head falling back onto the edge of the bed so he was staring up at the ceiling, a mixture of confusion and longing shinning in his eyes. "I can't even begin to describe it Al; it's heavy and light at the same time. It drives me crazy, but if it were to go away I don't think I-" Ed fisted his hands against his forehead and let out a frustrated grunt. "Damn it, none of this makes any damn sense!"

Al sighed and shook his head. "No brother, I think I understand." He said making Ed look up at him expectantly. "I mean, I've never experienced it myself but... I think you need to talk to Demi about this."

Ed's brow furrowed in confusion. "What the hell- what does she have to do with any of this?"

Al almost fell over in exasperation; his poor, thick headed older brother. "Oh brother-" A knock on the door cut off anything Al was about to say.

"Al, you better have your cloth on we're coming it!" Dmitri shouted from the hall, her tone teasing and light. Al laughed a little before turning to Ed who gave him a look that said 'keep your damn mouth shut' which made Al roll his eyes in a 'no duh' way.

"You're safe on my end, but I can't make any promises about brother." Al answered making Ed scowl at him.

"Oh yeah?" The door slid open with Winry giving a squeak of protest. Dmitri poked her head in and glanced around before pouting a little. "Well dame, he's dressed! Way to smash my hopes Al!"

Winry, who had covered her eyes on the off chance that Ed really was buck ass naked, let out a relieved sigh. "Thank god; it's one thing if he's on my operating table, I don't wan't to see my little brother naked!" Ed and Winry both shared a disturbed look that made Al and Dmitri laugh.

"Well, that makes one of us I guess." Dmitri said making Ed roll his eyes, a light tinge of pink coming to his cheeks.

"Can we go get food now, or are you not done drooling?" Ed said irritably making Dmitri snicker a little.

"I see someone hasn't changed out of their grumpy pants yet." She said earning a snort of laughter from Winry and an irritated look from Ed. "Come on- the food car is just two cars down from here. We can get dinner there and then come back to our rooms for desert, ok?" Dmitri motioned for everyone to follow her, which they all did willingly. Something about traveling had made Ed and Winry ravenous in their hunger, and Al was just happy that Ed would have food to distract him from his troubling situation. But something still hung heavy in Al's mind; if what Ed had told him was true, then he wondered how the chief factor to Ed's problem was fairing in this tug of war.

* * *

After scarfing down enough food to feed a small village, the four teens found themselves seated around the girls bed, each one munching on a piece of decadent apple pie. "Man, Gracia's pie is the best!" Dmitri said as she licked her fingers clean. "Winry, please tell me you stole some of her cooking skills while you were living with them."

Winry nodded making Dmitri give a small victory dance. "I helped her out a bit, and I learned quite a few good tricks. She even gave me the recipe for this apple pie, so I can make it for all of us again when Al get's his body back!"

Al perked up at that, an obvious excitement bubbling in his voice. "Really? Oh boy, I can't wait!" Everyone laughed, each one of them enjoying the uplifted atmosphere. It had been a while since they could all just sit back and relax like this and it was very refreshing for them all. They spent the next few hours playing cards and simply enjoying each others company well into the night. It wasn't until Dmitri checked her watch and saw the lat hour that any of them realized it was nearing ten thirty.

"Holy crap, it's pretty late." She said showing her watch to Ed who frowned a bit. "We should oil you up now so we don't have to wake up and do it tomorrow morning; once we get down to Rush Valley, the dust will make it a pain." His frown only deepened making Winry give Ed a scolding look.

"Don't make that face Ed! I was pretty lenient about it while you were in the hospital, but now that you're out in the world it's more important then ever!" She said making him roll his eyes. Dmitri laughed a little at his childish behavior as she rummaged through her suitcase and pulled out the oiling kit that lay with in it.

"Don't be such a baby Ed- with the two of us working on it, this shouldn't take to long." She said handing him one of the rags and a small oiling can. "You can do your arm and I'll take the leg; sound fair?"

"Whatever..." he grumbled as he accepted the rag and oil can. Dmitri grabbed his left leg and stretched it out as best she could in the cramped environment before starting on her part of the chore, starting at the port end and working her way down just as Winry had shown her back in Resembool.

"Hey, I was meaning to ask you guys earlier but it completely skipped my mind." Winry said earning a curious look from her three other companions. "What are you all going to Dublith for anyways?"

Ed shrugged as he applied the oiled rag to his shoulder, frowning a bit when he had to stretch to reach the back. Damn it, he always hated doing this... "There are two reason's actually, the first being to get stronger. I've been losing way to many fight's lately."

Winry gave the two brothers and Dmitri a scolding look. "Huh? You're going there to get better at fighting? Are you obsessed with fighting or something?!" Dmitri and Al gave nervous laughs while Ed returned Winry's crass questions with an irritated glare.

"Shut up! Our reason's aren't that simple!" He shouted making Winry narrow her eyes suspiciously. " It's hard to explain but... we wanted to get strong on the _inside_ too, right Al?" Al nodded in agreement, making Winry give them a curious look. "We wanna get _way_ better at fighting."

"Yup!" Al said making Winry let out a resigned sigh. " I just know that we're gonna get stronger if we go to our teachers place!"

Winry held up her hands in surrender. "Fair enough; so what's the second reason?" She asked as Ed examined his handy work on his arm; not to bad for not being able to reach the back. Oh well-

"Alright Ed, legs done, now turn around so I can get the back of your shoulder." Dmitri said making him let out a irritated grumble. He complied though, not wanting to get another scolding from Winry.

"So?" Winry said when it seemed Ed wasn't going to answer her. "What's your second reason for going?"

"Oh yeah," Ed said as Dmitri started to work the oil into his shoulder. "I want to ask our teacher about human transmutation. The whole time we trained together, our teacher never taught us anything about the philosophers stone _or_ human transmutation."

Al nodded when Winry gave him a questioning look. "It's true, and the closer we get to the philosophers stone, the more dangerous it gets. So we thought the best thing to do would be to just ask our teacher directly about whether there's a way to get our original bodies back." He said.

"Why didn't you guy's ask her about it earlier then?" Dmitri asked as she worked on a particularly rough patch on the back of Ed's shoulder; must have hit one of the pillars in lab five there. Ouch.

"W-well..." Al said nervously, his fingers fidgeting with his cloth.

"We were way to scared to when we were little." Ed said, an irritated frown falling onto his face. "But we can't afford to be timid anymore. We have to ask her head on, even if it means we might g-get..." Ed gulped, a cold sweat breaking out over his skin. "G-get k-killed..." Ed glanced forlornly at Al over his shoulder, large crocodile tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. "We had pretty short lives, didn't we, Al...?"

"I wish I could have at least gotten myself a girlfriend..." Al answered back as he huddled himself into a corner of the room to sulk. Dmitri rolled her eyes at their dramatics as she did a final rub down on Ed's shoulder.

"Oh boy, you two are such drama kings." She said as the two continued to sniffle and sulk. "I doubt very highly that your teacher is going to murder you for asking a simple question; I mean, she knew what your ultimate goal was back then didn't she?"

Ed spun around, a horrified look on his face. "Hell no! She would have never agreed to train us if she did!"

"Brother!" Al said, his whole body shaking like a leaf. "She also hates the military! What if she finds out your a State Alchemist too?!"

Dmitri sighed, laying a gentle hand on Ed's flesh shoulder. "Ed, I hate to say this but... you're boned." Ed fell into the fetal position, a dark cloud of doom falling over him. "And on that note, we should all head to bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow!"

* * *

 _Dmitri stood bound to a post in the center a stone room, dressed in a loose linen toga with golden rope wrapped around her arm's and legs, holding her in place. She looked around, not sure where she was- this room looked vaguely familiar to her though it didn't have any outstanding features. The wall's were bare as was the ceiling, and the only other object in the room apart from the post she was tied to were a few torches that were free floating in the air._

 _"Do not panic."_

 _She jumped as a deep masculine voice boomed through the empty room, echoing off it's empty walls. She whipped her head from side to side, trying to locate the source of the voice."W-who are you?" She said, a frustrated frown coming to her face as she tried to pull against her golden restraints. "Show yourself!" Two hands came from behind her then making her suck in a startled breath. One wrapped around her middle and the other came up to cup her chin, pulling her head off to the side despite her efforts to resist. "What are you doing?!"_

 _"Do not be afraid." The man said, his tone unwavering and the deep baritone sending an unpleasant shiver down her spine. "It is time, Josephine, for us to start the process. Soon, you will fulfill your purpose." The arm that was around her middle suddenly pulled back, leaving the mans large hand to rest against her abdomen. An eerie red light started to envelop said hand before sinking through her garment and into her flesh making her hiss in discomfort._

 _"H-hey, knock it off!" She shouted, her body thrashing from side to side in an effort to throw who ever the fuck this was off of her. But with her arms and legs bound behind her, there was very little that she could do as the discomfort slowly rose to unbearable levels of pain. "STOP IT!"_

 _"Do not fight it my dear." The man said, though his voice sounded anything but comforting. His hand stopped glowing and retracted from around her but the pain was never ending, and reaching such heights that she couldn't help but scream in anguish. It felt as though she was being ripped in half, the very flesh of her abdomen stretching into impossible shapes before falling flat once again. "It pain's me to hurt you so, Josephine-"_

 _"STOP CALLING ME THAT YOU SICK FREAK!" She screamed, a trail of blood escaping the corner of her mouth. The owner of the voice revealed himself then, coming around to stand before her. Dmitri felt a sickening shock of familiarity jolt across her heart making her grit her teeth in furry. "You... who the hell are you?!" The man that stood before her was tall with long golden blonde hair that was pulled back from his face with a few stray pieces falling against his brow and cheeks. A finely trimmed beard covered his jaw and chin. And his eyes- they were a shade of gold she had only ever seen on one other person. "WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" The man moved faster then Dmitri could follow, his hands cupping her face firmly._

 _"My dear Josephine... you've already forgotten me..." He said, though despite his words he didn't sound even the least bit bothered. "But you will soon remember who I am..."_

 _Dmitri wen't to shout at him again only to stop mid breath as the pain from before reached new heights. Her abdomen swelled to an abnormal size, the skin stretched so thin that it had started to split in multiple areas making her scream out in pure agony. "PLEASE STOP-!"_

 _The man frowned a bit, the only change in his other wise stern face she had yet to see. "I can't stop it now; he is to close." He said, but Dmitri was far to lost in her agony to hear what he had said. "You must bear with it Josephine; only you can bare him." He said as the tears in her skin started to split ever further. "My Pride." Like the breaking of a dam Dmitri's abdomen ruptured and from her spilled a fountain of blood and entrails and something else._

 _She didn't know how she wasn't dead, as all but her heart and lungs now lay on the floor, and it was a surprise that she hadn't lost consciousness though she wished she had. For in the puddle of innards lay what looked to a young child with dark hair and dark purple eyes. His skin was blue and he didn't appear to be moving, that is until the horrid man knelt beside him with a flask of strange red liquid and poured it down the lifeless boy's throat. As if struck my lightning the boy jolted to life, gasping for air as if only just able to breath after an eternity with out air. The man stood then and addressed the boy with a stern voice._

 _"Pride." He said, gaining the boys attention. The man pointed at Dmitri who was staring down at the boy in horror. "You will thank your mother, for it is her that has granted you true life. Do not disappoint her."_

 _The boy stood, still covered from head to toe in blood and biol. He gave Dmitri a curious look, though a tight frown soon settled on his face. "Thank you... mother."_

* * *

Ed flopped over for what felt like the thousandth time; no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't fall asleep. Maybe it was because this was his first time in a sleeping cabin on a train. Yeah that was probably it. "Brother...?" He heard Al say from the other side of the room. Ed grunted and turned over to he could see his younger brother.

"Yeah?"

"If you can't sleep why don't you go for a walk? It might help..." Al said uncertainly.

Ed huffed and sat up, grabbing his watch from the floor and checking the time. It was nearly four in the morning; they would make it to their stop in less then three hours. "Damn it... I might as well get up now, we'll be in Rush Valley in three hours." He said as he snapped the watch closed and stretched his arms above his head. "I don't know why I can't sleep. Normally it's the staying awake part I have a problem with..." Al made an unsure sound as Ed crawled out of bed and tossed on a pair of his black pants. He may as well get dressed while he was up. "I'm gonna go to the food car. You wanna come with?"

Al shook his head. "Nah; I'll stay here. Not like I can actually eat any of it anyways." Al said in a cheerful voice.

Ed gave him a sad smile. "Not for much longer though, so I hope you're working up an apatite while you wait."

"Oh, you know it!"

Ed smiled more cheerfully as he slipped on his black jacket to block out the desert chill. "I'll be back in an hour or so; we'll wake the girls up then, ok?" Al nodded in understanding as Ed exited the room, being mindful to shut the door as quietly as possible so as not to awaken anyone else in their car. His efforts were almost wasted however when he was practically ran over by someone else in the hall, the two of them falling on top of each other. "W-what the hell- watch were you're... Dmitri?" Said blonde woman scuttled back from him so fast that she ran into the wall, her head bouncing off of it painfully. "Whoa, whoa! Calm down it's ok, it's just me! What the hell are you doing out here?" Dmitri let out a relieved sigh, her hands coming up to clutch as her hair as she took deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. Ed's brow furrowed in worry as he took in her disheveled sleeping cloths and hair; had she just woken up and bolted? "Hey, what's wrong? Did something happen-"

"N-no!" Dmitri answered to quickly, a nervous laugh escaping her between breaths. "Everything's fine! Do you want coffee? I want coffee- let's go get coffee!" She stood then, walking away from him with hurried feet. Ed quickly got up and caught up with her, grabbing her arm and spinning her around earning a frightened squeal from her that made him let go immediately. "S-sorry Ed, you scared me-" Ed grabbed her shoulders before she could turn away from him again.

"Hold on for one damn second and tell me what's wrong!" Ed hissed at her, trying hard not to lose his temper and wake up the other passengers. Or worse, alert Al and Winry that one of their traveling companions was seemingly having a break down in the middle of the night. Dmitri would _never_ answer him if the other two were around.

But Dmitri bit her lip and shook her head stubbornly, much to Ed's chagrin. "I-I don't wan't to talk about it!" She said making Ed's frown deepen. "Please Ed, I don't want to talk about it right now... I just wan't to get coffee, ok? Can we please just get some coffee?"

Ed bit the inside of his cheek; he wasn't happy with that answer. "Why?"

Dmitri slid her eyes to the floor, a deep frown coming to her lips. "Because; I don't wan't to fall asleep again. Not tonight."

Ed gave her a rather stern look before he let out a unsatisfied grunt. "Fine, you don't have to tell me what happened. For now." He added as he tugged his jack off his own shoulders and handed it to her. She quirked a brow at him which he returned with a small smirk. "I don't think the food car worker would complain, but you should probably put on some real cloths."

Dmitri glanced down to find that she was indeed still in her sleep tank and shorts, both of which were a tad bit small on her. A light blush came to her cheeks as she quickly pulled his jacket on, folding it closed over herself. "Shit, didn't even think about that! What about my hair, is it a mess?" She asked, trying her hardest to finger comb through it.

Ed shrugged and walked past her. "Yep a hot mess; you look fine." He said in a nonchalant way making her face turn fifty shades of red. "Hurry up before you freeze, that jackets not exactly the thickest."

"O-OK!" Dmitri squeaked as she followed after him, being sure to keep her head down so he couldn't see the embarrassing heat in her cheeks.

* * *

Dmitri groaned as she was dragged from shop to shop by an over enthusiastic Winry. Despite having five cups of sugary coffee this morning with Ed, she was finding it very hard to keep up with her newly appointed "bestie". With every new shop they visited, Winry would squeal like an excited child, ohing and ahing over every new toy she found. "OH! IT'S SO PRETTY!" She cried as they came to a stop just outside another swamped shop window. "That automail! Can it be?!"

Dmitri looked through the shop window to see a rather sharp looking automail left arm with sleek finishes and a fancy emblem engraved on the forearm. It was pretty alright, but Dmitri felt that Winry's model beat it in functionality. This was more a formal wear arm. "Yep, looks like a fancy left arm to me too." She said making Winry roll her eyes and point at the sale tag.

"Its the 11th Generation Model from God's Studio!" Winry said excitedly as if Dmitri was supposed to know what the was. "I never thought there'd come a day when I'd see it with my own eyes!"

Dmitri smiled and patted Winry on the back. "It's really somthin' Winry-GAH!"

Winry grabbed Dmitri's arm and started dragging her away once again. "Come on!" She shouted making Dmitri groan in protest as she was pulled into an even thicker crowd of tourists and automail junkies. Why couldn't she just sit and drink coffee today?

Al made an uncomfortable sound in the back of his throat as he watched Winry tug Dmitri into a large crowd, the two of them disappearing from his line of sight. "Ummmm Ed, do you think it's a good idea to let them run off like that?" He asked his older brother who walked beside him a leisurely pace.

Ed shrugged his shoulders and readjusted his grip on his coat and the luggage cart he pulled behind him. Long term traveling with _two_ women was proving a lot more troublesome then he had expected. Each of them had their own suit case and small carry on bag, not to mention Winry had her Automail tools with her. Add in Ed's own suit case and he was lugging around six bags of luggage between the three of them. He really just wanted to get to the inn so he could dump their bags and take a nap. "If Dmitri had just kept her mouth shut we wouldn't even _be_ here." Ed said irritably, thinking back to how Dmitri had managed to talk him into letting Winry come along. "We'd still be on the train and heading for Dublith."

Al rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. It's not like he had done much to sway Dmitri or Winry for that matter; he was actually really glad that Winry had come along. "Y-yeah, but-"

Ed gave Al a slightly annoyed look. "You're starting to sound like Dmitri." He said making Al laugh nervously. "And wasn't it you who was saying that we shouldn't worry so much?" Ed added earning a nod from his little brother. The two looked ahead and spotted Winry's head out in a dense crowd of enthusiastic on lookers to some street performer. They headed her way, with all pushing through the throng of people with ease. "Then stop worrying! Dmitri's a strong fighter, she can handle anything that comes her way-EXCEPT THAT!" Ed and Al came to stop beside Winry only to see what was causing the crowd to go crazy. In the middle of the ring of on lookers sat a small wooden table to two chairs on either side. On one side sat Dmitri, an excited smile on her face as she stretched out her right shoulder. On the other side of the table sat a man nearly four times Dmitri's size with twin automail arms that he too was flexing. "WHAT THE HELL WINRY?! What's going on?" Ed demanded making Winry turn to him in a panic.

"Ah! It's an arm wrestling contest! The heckler picked her out and-"

"WHAT?!" Ed shouted, thoroughly pissed off at the so called heckler who he could see taking money from the crowd who were no doubt betting on who was going to lose an arm. "You can't be serious! Why would he chalenge someone who doesn't have automail to an _automail arm wrestling match_?!"

"Brother, what are we going to do?! If Demi goes through with this her arm will be torn off for sure!" Al exclaimed as Ed tossed his red jack onto the luggage cart.

"Stay here and watch the damn bags! I'm gonna put a stop to this right now!" Ed said as he forced his way past the people in front of him, earning many indignant shouts from the onlookers. "Oh shut the hell up and get out of my way!" He shouted as he pushed past a particularly large patron. Said man grabbed Ed by the shoulder, halting him from going any closer to the ring. "HEY! LET ME GO, I'VE GOTTA STOP THIS MATCH!"

"Hold on there kiddo!" The man said in a taunting tone that made Ed bristle with anger. "You can't just run in there and interrupt a match! That's against the rules of the game!"

Ed struggled against the mans hold, using all his strength to try and pry the mans hand off his shoulder. "The hell I can't! Are you back water Gear Heads blind?! That girl can't compete in this, she doesn't have automail!" The people around him laughed heartily as he continued to struggle against the strong hand that held him. "Come on, let me go-"

"You're worried she'll get hurt, huh? Well what better place to lose an arm then in the Automail mecca?" The man asked making Ed grit his teeth in aggravation.

"Bastard-?!" The entire crowd suddenly erupted in anticipating shouts and cheers, making Ed turn his head to look into the ring. Dmitri and her opponent were squared up and clasping hands. "W-wait-"

"HEH! It's starting! Man just look at those mechanics!" The man said, his grip on Ed's shoulder loosening in his own excitement. "Their practically chomping at he bit with the prospect of a new customer-!"

"HEY!" Ed and the man that was restraining him looked over their shoulders to see Al and Winry standing behind them. Winry smacked the man with her wrench making him yelp and release his hold on Ed. Al then grabbed the man up by the scruff of his shirt and tossed him aside. "Leave my brother alone!" As the man landed, the sound of shattering metal and wood erupted from the center ring making Ed, Al and Winry turn back to the ring in horror.

"Oh no..." Winry said as a cloud of desert dust billowed from the middle of the now silent crowd of onlookers. The three friends gave each other horrified looks before they started pushing their way through the crowd, shouting Dmitri's name as they went.

"DMITRI!?" Ed shouted as the three of them managed to push their way out of the crowd, the cloud of debris settling enough to allow them to see what had happened. All three of them took a half step back in surprise as the saw Dmitri standing in the middle of the ring, swiping her hand in front of her face in a failed attempt to ward the dust away from her face. "W-what the hell..."

"S-she... she won?!" Winry shouted in shock as Dmitri turned to look at them, flashing them a smile and a thumbs up. "But, what happened to the other guy?!"

Dmitri walked over to them, motioning over her shoulder with a sheepish smile. "I guess I got a little carried away..." She said as the other three glanced around her to see that her opponent had been sent flying across the ring, his right arm completely shattered and the table split in two some ten feet away from him. "Opps!"

"Wait!" The heckler shouted as he came up behind Dmitri, clearly flabbergasted and pissed off that his undefeated cash cow had been taken down by a little girl with flesh and blood arms. "I call shenanigans! There's no way you could have beat him with out cheating!"

Dmitri smiled up at him sweetly. "Would _you_ like to give me a try?" She asked making the man back away in fear while shaking his head feverishly. "Then I'll be taking my winnings please." Dmitri held her hand out expectantly and was quickly rewarded a stack of cash that made Ed and Winry's eyes nearly pop out of their skulls. "Pleasure doing business with you!"

"L-like wise- now don't ever come back!" The heckler said before he high tailed it away from them.

Dmitri cackled like a witch as she stashed her winnings. "Like stealing candy from a baby... a very stupid baby."

Ed let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, a disgruntled look on his face. "You could have told Winry about your little plan before you just took off like that ya know!" He shouted at her making Dmitri shrug her shoulders in an 'oh well' kind of way.

"Plan? What plan?" Winry said as she glanced between the two of them expectantly.

Ed rolled his eyes and jutted a thumb at Dmitri who smiled sheepishly at Winry. "Our "champ" here used Alchemy to change the components of that guys automail, and then used her freaky family's strength to send him flying. She played them like fools."

Winry gave Dmitri an open mouth glare. "That's totally cheating!"

"I prefer to call it, playing to my strengths. It was either that or get my arm ripped off, and that didn't sound quite as fun. "Dmitri said making Winry throw her arms up in exasperation. "But don't worry, dismemberment is right up there with taunting Ed and drinking coffee, so it's in the top ten."

"Unbelievable..." Winry said while Al laughed and Ed rolled his eyes. He reached out to grab their luggage cart only to be stopped when someone grabbed his right arm. Turning his head Ed was surprised to see some of the locals inspecting his arm like some kind of science project.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" Ed demanded as more and more people started to crowd around him.

"Oh my! I've never seen this style of automail around here!" One man exclaimed as he tinkered with Ed's wrist a little much to the teen's annoyance.

"Excuse me, I'd like my hand back please!"

"Where did you get this done?!" Another man inquired making Winry perk up.

"It was me!" She said excitedly gaining the attention of the other automail mechanics. "I made it! His left leg is Automail too!" Winry said making Ed give her a look of horror as the crowd suddenly became frenzied in their excitement.

"AHHHH! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Ed screamed as the many mechanics started to tug at his pant leg to get a good look at him. Dmitri and Al stood back and laughed so hard that tears came to their eyes as Ed was stripped down to his boxers to get the full picture of his prosthetic's. "AAAHHHHHH!"

"Poor guy," Dmitri said as she wiped away her tears. Feeling pity for her partner she bravely reached into the crowd and felt around for some part of Ed. Finding his metal wrist, she gave a mighty tug and was able to free him from the throng of mechanics. "Don't worry Ed, I've got you!" She said as Ed gasped as if having been pulled from the bottom of a lake. He turned and hugged her leg, large crocodile tears falling down his cheeks.

"Thank you Dmitri! Your like an angel!" He wailed making Dmitri roll her eyes at his over dramatics.

"Oh brother..." Al said with a shake of his head.

Dmitri patted the top of Ed's head. "There, there Ed; you're safe now." She said as the crowd of people started to thin out.

Winry stood some three feet away, her hands planted on her hips triumphantly. " This town really _is_ a mecca for Automail mechanics! Everybody here is so devoted to their research!"

Ed, who was still clutching Dmitri's leg like a scared animal, glared at Winry over his shoulder. " _THAT'S NO EXCUSE TO STRIP ME TO MY UNDERWEAR IN PUBIC!_ " He hissed at her like a pissed off cat making Dmitri and Al laugh heartily. This turned Ed's rage onto them, with Ed jumping up and pointing an incriminating finger at Dmitri. "I don't see what's so funny here! How would you like to be stripped down to _your_ underwear, huh?!"

Dmitri dubbled over in laughter then, her arms wrapping around her abdomen. "OH MY GOD! I CAN'T- IT'S JUST TO EASY!" She said making Ed stop and think, his cheeks turning a violent shade of red.

"PERVERT!"

Al's whole body shook violently as he tried to contain his mirth. "AH HA HA! Look at you big brother! I bet there aren't to many State Alchemists who strut around main street in their underwear!" He said, earning an irritated glower from Ed.

"Funny that the guy who run's around in a _loincloth_ is making fun of me!" Ed spat making Al come to a sputtering halt with his laughter.

"I-it's not a loincloth!" Al defended, his hands coming down to clutch as said cloth as if to hide it.

Dmitri, having been able to gain control of herself, grabbed Ed's pant's up from the ground and tossed them to him. "Here; while I'm not really complaining, you might want to get dressed now. People are starting to stare."

Ed huffed and pulled his pant's on quickly, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink as he redid the belt. He pushed his hand's into his pockets to fix them, only to go stock still when he noticed something missing. Something _very important_. "Oh no..." he said, a nervous sweat breaking out over his forehead.

"Hm? What's wrong Ed?" Winry asked as Ed gave himself an all over pat down, even going so far as to shake out his tank top and red jacket.

"It's gone..." He said, panic plane on his face. "The this that _proves_ I'm a State Alchemist..."

Dmitri gaped at him for a moment before face palming herself. "Fucking fabulous!" She said making Winry glance irritably between the two of them.

"Um, hello?! What's going on?!" She demanded, her arms crossing over her chest irritably.

Ed pulled out all of his pockets one last time before turning to them with a horrified expression. "My silver pocket watch... is gone!"

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"


	19. Indescribable

After nearly an hour of searching for Ed's watch and absolutely _no_ luck finding it, Al suggested that they ask around town. It took one stop for them to learn that their worst fears were true. "Sounds like the work of Paninya!" An old mechanic said with a good natured laugh. Ed's shoulders fell as the old man wen't on to explain that this Paninya was a local girl who found great sport in pick pocketing tourists.

"Do you know were we can find her?" Dmitri asked, quickly losing her patients with the situation. All she wanted was coffee! Why was the universe so against her need for caffeine?!

"Yeah, that watch is _really_ important to me!" Ed said, his hands clasped together pleadingly.

The old man hummed to himself and rubbed his stubbled chin in thought. "Well now, I can tell you. But in exchange, how about you give me a small looky loo under your hood, eh boy?!" He said, holding up a monkey wrench and screwdriver with an excited grin on his face. In answer, Ed transmuted his automail arm into a blade, small tick's of annoyance appearing on his face. "Aaaaaahahahah! Of course, she's in the west alley! There's a pawn shop there, Goltz Pawn Shop- that's were she sell's her spoils!" The old man said while holding his arms above his head in surrender.

Dmitri flashed him a bright smile. "Thank you so much for your help!" She said before grabbing hold of Ed's shoulder and guiding the irritated teen away from the frightened old timer. "Com on Ed, I'm sure we can find her before she sell's it off."

* * *

It didn't take them long to find the Pawn shop, and it took even less time for Ed to jump the gun and mess it all up leading to a high speed pursuit of the surprisingly agile teenager known as Paninya. Dmitri growled irritably as she jumped from building to building, hoping to head Paninya off in the town square while Ed and Al chased after her. If she could just set up a small trap, something that would hold her still with out hurting her.

"HEY! GET BACK HERE!"

Dmitri heard Ed shout from up ahead. Oh, good; she should intercept them shortly. Thinking over her strategy Dmitri came to an abrupt halt in the middle of town square. Good, the place was mostly deserted. She could see Paninya, a young girl with tan skin and short black hair, running down an alleyway with a triumphant smirk gracing her face. Just as Paninya glanced up and saw her Dmitri smiled and waved making Paninya falter in her steps a little. Clapping her hands together and slamming them into the ground, Dmitri forced her green alchemic energy into the ground, turning the cobble stone into long ribbons of stone that shot up and wrapped Paninya in a cocoon from her shoulders all the way down to her ankles.

"AHHHH!" The young teenager shouted in shock as she fell over onto her side, wiggling like a caterpillar in an attempt to escape.

Dmitri ran over to her, kneeling down to pat Paninya on the head. "Struggle all you want, but I highly doubt you'll break out of this one." Paninya groaned in defeat making Dmitri snicker. Ed and Al, followed up by Winry, came into the town square, each one looking relieved that their chase was over.

"Thank goodness! I was wondering were you ran off to Demi!" Al said as they all came to a stop beside Dmitri and her hostage.

"I figured she would make a round about through here; it was luck that I was right, nothing more." Dmitri said earning a glower from Paninya. "Now," Dmitri knelt down again, giving Paninya a sickly sweet smile that made the young teen break out in a nervous sweat. "I'm going to release you, but do understand that if I have to chase you down again I won't stop at the shoulders with my next binding."

"Y-YES MA'AM!"

Winry started bouncing on her feet as Dmitri clapped her hands together and removed the stone from around Paninya, replacing it in the road to fix the damage she had made. "I'm so excited that we caught you!" Winry said as she grabbed Paninya's hands to help her stand. "Now I can get a good look at the automail of your's!"

The other three nearly fell over in exasperation as Winry dragged Paninya over to the fountain in order to sit her down so Winry could get a better look at the girls automail. "Hey! What about my watch?!" Ed shouted in indignation.

Dmitri pat his shoulders when they fell in defeat as Winry gushed over the girls impressive legs. "Might as well give up for now Ed, you know how Winry get's." Dmitri said earning an irritated sigh from her partner. "Besides, I don't think Paninya is going to run again."

Ed snorted at that, a sly smirk coming onto his face. "Yeah, cause you threatened to wrap her face in stone if she did. Who knew you could be so cruel."

"Yeah Demi- that was kind of mean, don't you think...?" Al said, rubbing the back of his helmet nervously.

Dmitri shrugged in a nonchalant way. "She shouldn't be stealing, period, but she really messed up when she tried to pull one over on Ed." She said earning a mischievous grin from said alchemist.

"Oh yeah? And why is that?" Ed asked tauntingly, earning a wide grin from Dmitri.

"Cause Ed, it's my job to make you look like a fool!"

Al started laughing while Ed gaped at her like a fish out of water. "W-wha- you little-"

"Hey guy's, good news!" Winry said as she skipped over to them, her face all smiles.

"You got my watch back?!" Ed asked excitedly, completely forgetting the curses he was about to send Dmitri's way.

Winry placed her hands on her hips and pushed her chest out proudly. "Nope, even better!" She said confidently making Ed, Al and Dmitri give each other looks of uncertainty. What the hell has Winry gotten them into now?

* * *

Ed and Dmitri walked side by side, both slouched over and covered from head to toe in sweat, with Al following behind them with the luggage cart. The sun beat down on their backs from it's position in the sky, it's bright light reflecting off the white and red canyon road they were currently walking along. Somehow Winry had gotten them roped into following Paninya, the girl who _stole_ from them, into the desert that surrounded Rush Valley all so Winry could meet Paninya's automail mechanic. So now, with none of them being able to talk Winry out of this shitty idea, Ed, Dmitri and Al were forced to go along.

"Winry..." Ed wined making said blonde turn to look his way. "Remind me again. _How is this better_?!"

Winry gave him a sheepish grin. "W-well, in exchange for taking me to see her automail mechanic, we're not going to turn her in to the MPs-"

"WHAT ABOUT THE _WATCH_?!" Ed shouted, completely done playing nice with the girl who _stole_ from him.

Paninya looked over her shoulder, a smug smile lighting up her brown eyes. " _That_ I'm holding onto until we get there to make sure you don't go back on our deal-"

"I'm not the one who made a deal with you!" Ed ranted, shaking his fist towards Paninya who only stuck her tongue out at him in response. Dmitri sighed, wiping the sweat from her brow; she was _so_ not in the mood for this today...

"Look!" Paninya said then, dragging everyone's attention to the front of their small caravan. Across a wooden suspension bridge was a large adobe style building that looked to have been cut straight from the side of the mountain. "That's the work shop!"

"Thank god..." Dmitri said earning a nod of agreement from Ed, Winry and Al. She could already feel her skin starting to blister; great, she was going to peel for days!

* * *

The shade was heavenly to the three flesh and blood teen's as they stepped into the work shop that belonged to Paninya's guardian and mechanic Dominic. It was a modest work shop, though it looked well used with the many projects that hung on the walls. A young man with dark hair and glasses sat at a work bench similar to Winry's, bent over what looked to be the start of a leg. Paninya greeted him upon entry and he seemed shocked to see her there.

"I don't know how you manage to come here so often, all the way from town." He said though he looked genuinely happy to see her.

"I brought some guests!" Paninya said, motioning towards Ed and the others. The man turned to greet them only pause in awe of Al who stood nearly six inches above him.

"WHOA! HE'S HUGE!" He said before turning to Ed and Dmitri who both looked worse for wear due to the heat the had followed in through the door. "AND THEY'RE SMALL!" Dmitri felt her brow twitch, but it was Ed who made to attack the guy. Luckily Al saw it coming and was able to hold him back before Ed could get them kicked out for beating up a stranger in his own home.

"Calm down Ed, it's so hot how can you even think about fighting?" Dmitri said as Ed regained his composure. Said alchemist huffed and turned his nose up in aggravation making Dmitri roll her eyes.

"Hello Paninya! Did you bring your friends today?" A woman appeared in a small window that seemingly opened between the kitchen and the work shop. She was young with short light brown hair and dark brown eyes, and had a kind look about her face. "You're all just in time for tea; why don't you join us?"

"Sounds good Satera." Paninya said, motioning for Winry and the others to follow her.

Winry leaned down to whisper in Paninya's ear while pointing at the young man in glasses curiously. " _That's_ Dominic? He doesn't seem unfriendly to me..."

Dmitri leaned in as well, her eyes shifting from side to side. "It's the overly polite ones you need to watch out for." She said making Paninya laugh a little.

"No, that's not him." She said, motioning to the man in glasses. "His name is Ridel Lecourt, and that's his wife Satera." Paninya motioned for them to follow behind her once again, but headed for the back of the workshop instead. The sound of hammering metal met their ears the closer to the back they got, and before to long they could see an older looking mane working away at a piece of heated sheet metal, a deep frown carved into his face. " _That's_ Dominic."

Dmitri smiled a bit. "Yep, look's pretty cheery to me." She said, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Hey Mr. Dominic!" Paninya greeted, making the grouchy old man turn to face them.

"You _again_? What do you want?" He demanded making Ed and them all sweat drop in surprise. He really was a grouchy as he looked...

"What do you mean "what do I want"? I've still got payments to make on these legs." Paninya said with a small chuckle while rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

Dominic scoffed and went back to his work, the frown on his face falling even deeper on his face. "I told you. I don't want your money."

"Friendly as ever I see..." Paninya said, though the smile never left her face.

Satera peeked in around Paninya, calling out to Dominic who paused in his work to hear what she had to say. "Dad, Paninya's brought some guests with her today. Why don't we all have some tea?"

Dominic grumbled something under his breath before he set down his tools and stood up, giving each one of them a look that screamed annoyance. "Guests, huh?"

* * *

While Winry talked Dominic's ear off at the table, Dmitri, Ed and Al had taken up seats with Satera and Ridel. "A baby huh? That's amazing! Congratulations." Ed said as Satera told them the good news. Of course, anyone with a brain could tell that she was expecting and very close to giving birth, but there was a rule when it came to pregnant women; never ask if a woman is pregnant. Not even if she's crowning.

"Yes, congratulations; how far along are you?" Dmitri asked curiously.

"She's about two weeks away from her due date." Ridel said, obvious pride in his voice.

"It's so heavy now that I can hardly walk, and I'm always tired, but I wouldn't trade it for anything." Satera said earning a nod of understanding from Dmitri. "Would you all like to feel it? It's pretty active right now since I'm sitting." She said, getting looks of shock from Ed and Al.

"Uh, sure..." Ed said as he placed his left hand gently atop her belly. Satera moved his hand and pushed on it, letting it sink a little into her belly. A moment later Ed felt something small push back against his palm, making him jump in surprise. "Ah! I felt it move!" He said looking up at Al and Dmitri in surprise. "Come feel this! It's so cool!"

Dmitri rolled her eyes. "Really Ed? All the words in the English language and you pick "cool"?" She said as she leaned forward and ran her hand over the side of Satera's belly, smiling when a small hand pushed back against hers. It truly was amazing, knowing that a living being was thriving inside the body of another right now. "I think "indescribable" fit's much better; there's nothing like it in the world." Dmitri grabbed Ed's left hand and replaced it with hers, smiling when he felt the same thing she had, the awe showing on his face.

"Wow..." He said, a tiny smile falling on his face. "You're right."

"Do you ever want to have children Dmitri?" Satera asked making Ed's eyes widen in a shocked panic. He glanced over at Dmitri, relieved to see that the smile hadn't left her face, though her eyes gave her sadness away.

Dmitri shook her head and flashed Satera a casual smile. "I'm afraid I'm unable to; there was an accident when I was younger that made me barren." Satera's face fell, her regret showing plainly on her face though Dmitri quickly worked to reassure her. "It's alright, really; that just mean's I'll have even more love to pass around to all the other children in my life." Dmitri reached over and pinched Ed's cheeks making him groan in aggravation. "Like these guys! Just look at this handsome face!"

"Imph 'oin' o 'ic or an's..." Ed said with a dead panned glare making everyone around them laugh. Dmitri released his cheeks and leaned down, kissing the abused flesh gently. Ed grumbled when she pulled away, crossing his arm's over his chest irritably.

"Oh, Eeeeddd~~" Winry called from across the room gaining everyone's attention. Winry waved him over with a sweet smile that made Ed grimace. "Come here for a second pleeeeeaase~~"

* * *

"Damn Al," Dmitri said making Al look down at her. "How lucky can I get? Two strip show's in one day." Al and Paninya both snickered while Ed shot Dmitri a dirty look over his shoulder.

"Will you shut up over there-!"

"I said to stop moving!" Dominic shouted as he tugged Ed forward once again. He grabbed Ed's automail arm and started flexing it every which way, and tapping it with a specialized hammer meant to help measure the percentage of different elements in metal. "Hmmmm... 17% chrome and 1% carbon, huh...?"

Winry, who stood next to Dominic, nodded. "Yes. But I wan't to increase the strength and make it lighter too."

"I can see why," Dominic said as he moved on to Ed's leg, giving it the same treatment. "Compared to his body size, this automail is way too heavy." Dominic gave Winry a reproaching look. "It's not healthy to put that much strain on the user. Maybe that's why he's so small for his age?"

"DON'T CALL ME- No, wait!" Ed stopped himself mid rant, realization flashing across his face faster then lightning. "Are you saying that if I get _lighter_ automail I might grow TALLER?!"

Dominic picked at his ear, his face set in it's normal scowl as he leaned back from the over excited teenager. "It's possible." He said making Ed smile so wide it was a wonder his face didn't split it two.

"It's... beautiful..." Ed mumbled to himself as he got lost in his own dreams of being seven foot tall, looking down on all those who had ever teased him about being short. He took great pleasure in stepping on Mustang, smashing him into the ground while the flame brain begged him for forgiveness. Oh yes, it would indeed be so beautiful!

"I think Dominic broke him..." Paninya said as Ed started to cry animated tears of joy.

Winry chewed on her lip for a moment, her mind running at a mile a minute over what Dominic had surmised about Ed's automail. It was her pride and joy, the best model she had ever created, but to the trained eyes of a seasoned automail mechanic, it was in need of improvement. "Okay- I've decided!" She said out loud gaining everyone's attention. Winry turned to Dominic and bowed, her hands resting on her knees. "Mr. Dominic, please make me your apprentice!" Winry said, her voice strong and imploring.

"Not a chance." Dominic said, his tone final.

Winry looked up with a dead panned expression on her face. "Can't you at least take some time to think it over?" She said dejectedly.

Dominic shook his head and crossed his arm's over his chest stubbornly. "No way. I don't take apprentices."

"Harsh..." Dmitri said to the others making them all nod their head, looks of exasperation on their faces.

"That's Dominic for you." Ridel said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Ed leaned over to Dominic earning an irritated glare from the old man. "Well how 'bout you whip me up an ultra-light automail that'll let me grow taller?" He asked coyly, a sly grin settled on his face. Much like with Winry though, Dominic didn't hesitate to shoot Ed down.

"Go home, you little bean sprout."

It was like a bomb exploded in that small room, with Ed ranting and raving over being called a bean sprout, and Winry begging Dominic over and over again for him to take her on as his apprentice, to which Dominic continued to stubbornly refuse. "Oh boy..." Al said as the arguing continued back and forth. Dmitri rubbed her temples; she didn't have the energy for this today. "Ed, you should at least put your pants on before you start a fight!" Al scolded though he went unnoticed by the three stubborn mules. It wasn't until Dominic stood up and shouted that the fighting came to a grinding halt.

"Damn it, no means no! Now scram!" He demanded before he left the room in a huff, no doubt going back to continue work of his latest project. This left Ed and Winry fuming, though the two didn't do anything to try and follow after the mechanic.

"Sorry about that." Ridel said with a nervous laugh. "My dad's really stubborn. It's best to just give up."

Winry sighed, her disappointment showing on her face as she took her seat again and fiddled with the edges of her empty tea cup. Dmitri came over to sit beside her, laying her head down on the table with a tired sigh. Maybe they should just get the watch and go back to town- a loud crack of thunder made all of them jump in surprise before the sound of heavily falling rain filled the air. "You've got to be kidding me..." Dmitri said under her breath as Paninya went over to one of the small windows, pulling open the wooden door that blocked out the heat of the day. How ever, what they all found outside was not the sun baked canyon but rather a curtain of rain so dense that the canyon looked as though it had been swallowed.

"Whoa, that sure came out of nowhere." Al said as he joined Paninya to look out the window. "You can hardly see the edge of the canyon. Brother, we can't walk back in that, we might fall off the edge on accident!" Ed rubbed the back of his neck with uncertainty; Dominic had told them to leave, but if they leave it's possible that they would get lost in weather like that.

"Oh, don't let dad scare you." Satera said as Ridel helped her up from her chair. "You're welcome to stay here until the storm passes; it's our rainy season here, so it might be a while. Please, make yourselves comfortable." She said with smile, making Al let out a relieved sigh.

"Thanks!" Ed said, a genuine smile on his face.

Dmitri turned her head to peek at him, snorting in amusement. "Hey, just because she said to make yourself at home doesn't mean you don't have to put your pant's back on." Ed looked at her and then down, letting out a sound of embarrassed surprise when he realized that he was, indeed, still with out pants. "That is unless you plan to be an exhibitionist for the rest of our visit."

"Shut up!" Ed complained as everyone started to laugh at his expense. And like magic, the tension from before melted away with the rain. Much like the train ride, everyone took up their own spots in the house. Ed and Al went to look for Dominic, Winry and Paninya were talking about automail, Satera had gone into the kitchen to start on dinner and Ridel had gone back to his previous work. This left Dmitri sitting with her head down on the table, dozing in and out of sleep to the sound of the rain and the other two girls chatter.

Dmitri could hear bit's a pieces of their conversation; something about honesty and what ever, though Dmitri didn't really care much to pay attention. It wasn't until she heard Winry cackling like a witch that Dmitri turned her head to see what the two teens were up to. "Winry..." Dmitri said making Winry pause and glance over at her with wide, deer caught in the headlights eyes. "What are you doing to Ed's watch?"

Winry chuckled nervously before going back to digging at the edge's of Ed's certification watch with a small screwdriver. "Well, Paninya said that she couldn't get it open, so I'm trying to fix it! Yeah!" She said making Dmitri quirk a brow at her.

"Ed told me not to open it when he saw me trying before you caught me," Paninya said making Dmitri frown at Winry in disapproval.

"Then why are you trying to open it Winry?" Dmitri asked just as the lock on the watch clicked, allowing the lid to flip open. "Winry you shouldn't have done that! He obviously didn't want anyone looking in there if he jammed the lock!" She scolded as she stood from the table and made her way towards them.

""Don't forget October 3, year 11"...?" Paninya said, her face scrunching up in confusion. "I don't get it-" Dmitri snatched the watch from Winry's trembling fingers, snapping it shut with an irritable grunt. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Dmitri inspected the watch, frowning when she saw signs of alchemy around the edges of the lid. "He even sealed it shut with alchemy..." she bit out under her breath. "Are you two happy now? You saw what was in there." Dmitri shoved the watch back into Paninya's hands, catching the teen by surprise.

"H-hey, why are you giving this back to _me_?" Paninya said as she tried to hand the watch back to Dmitri.

"You stole it in the first place, so you can give it back!" Dmitri said making Paninya look down contritely. Beside her Winry sniffled, and wiped tears from her eyes. What ever that date represented it clearly meant something to her. "Winry." Dmitri said making Winry peek out over her hands. "I don't know what that date signify's, and I don't expect you to tell me. But you should talk to Ed."

Winry sniffled and wiped her eyes one last time, giving Dmitri a small nod. "Yeah... but first, I'm gonna ask Dominic to accept me as his apprentice one more time." She said, raising her head to reveal a stone cold resolve that had formed in her eyes. She stormed from the room then, passing Ridel as he entered the room with a couple cups of coffee. He looked between Dmitri and Paninya and the door, a curious look in his eyes.

"What's going on?" He asked Paninya as he held out one of the cups to Dmitri who took it with grateful eyes. "You looked like you could use this."

"You're a saint!" Dmitri said, large tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

"I have no idea what's going on Ridel-" Paninya started, though she was almost instantly cut off as Winry came bursting back into the room, her face as white as a ghost and gasping for air. "WHOA!"

"Ridel, come quick!" Winry shouted earnestly. "It's your wife!"

Ridel didn't need to be told twice as he bolted out of the room with Winry and Paninya right behind him, leaving Dmitri to stare after them, sipping idly on her coffee. "Well, thing's just got interesting." She said as she followed after them at a slightly slower pace. When she found them, Satera was on the ground clutching at her pregnant belly and Ridel, Paninya and Winry all looked scared out of their minds. Dmitri sighed and placed her coffee on the counter before kneeling down next to Satera. "It's time, huh?"

"Y-yeah- it's a l-little early, but-!" Satera didn't get to finish her sentence as another contraction hit her, harder then the others.

Dmitri felt Satera's lower back, nodding her head in understanding when she felt the tight muscles under her palm.

"It's ok; baby comes when baby comes." She said before turning to Ridel who looked like he was about to pass out. Dmitri reached over and snapped her fingers in his face making him come back to reality. "Hey, daddy, we need to move her to another room. Preferably somewhere soft were she can still sit up." He nodded, a cold sweat breaking out over his forehead as he prepared to help his wife up off the floor. Dmitri turned to Paninya then, who had scooted back across the floor, her hand covering her mouth in shock. "Paninya, go get Dominic." When Paninya didn't move Dmitri cursed under her breath and kicked one of Paninya's feet, gaining her attention. "Go get him right now!" She hissed before to turned to help Ridel with Satera.

They had her moved before Paninya made it back with Dominic and the two Elric brothers, and all of them seemed just as panicked as everyone else. "AHHHHH! MY GRANDCHILD! MY GRANDCHILD'S GOING TO BE BOOOORRRRNN!" Dominic shouted as he paced back and forth in a panic, his arms flailing above his head erratically. Ed and Al were no better, each of them also shouting their concerns, and ultimately freaking Ridel out to the point of shouting as well.

"Can everyone please-!" Satera tried to shout at them to shut up, but an oncoming contraction left her words falling of deaf ears.

Dmitri pulled out her pocket watch, counting the ticks of her second hand with a frown. This was moving much faster then expected and- " _AAAAHHHH WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO-_ "- Dmitri grit her teeth in aggravation. All their damn shouting- "HEY!" She shouted gaining everyone's attention. "WILL YOU ALL SHUT THE HELL UP! YOU'RE ONLY STRESSING HER OUT DAMN IT!" Everyone blinked owlishly at her for a moment, the only sounding being that of Satera's labored breathing. "Good! Now, we need to get to a doctor. Her contractions are strong and close together, so we don't really have a whole lot of time for panic attacks, got it?!"

Dominic grunted and stormed across the room towards a closet, grabbing a yellow rain coat from it's dark depths. "We can't get her there safely in this weather; I'll just have to bring the Doctor here!" He said, determination shinning in his eyes.

"Ah, dad be careful out there!" Ridel said as Dominic left with out another word. This left everyone else in a rather awkward state; what the hell should they do while they wait? Another contraction hit Satera making her cry out in pain, and nearly making Ridel fall into another wave of panic. He was at her side in an instant, her hand in his as he talked her through the pain. "It's gonna be ok Satera; just hold on until the Doctor comes! Alright?"

Satera glowered up at him making him chuckle nervously. "You can say that all you want, but this baby is gonna come when ever it wants!"

Dmitri bit her lower lip as she counted her seconds again. "She's right; at this rate it could be with in the hour. So let's hope Dominic can make it-" Before Dmitri could finish her sentence the door to the bedroom slammed open, revealing a water logged Dominic. "Wow... that was fast..."

"Dad? What's wrong?" Ridel said earnestly.

"The bridge..." Dominic said, his voice wavering with his horror. "The bridge is...gone."

* * *

Dmitri sat beside Satera, feeding her ice chips between contractions and dabbing a cool rag on her forehead in an effort to keep her as comfortable as possible while Ed, Al and Winry went to investigate the bridge with Dominic. She prayed that they were able to get it fixed in time. Satera's contraction's were only growing stronger, and it wouldn't be to long before- the sound of water spilling onto the floor made Dmitri's eyes widen in shock and take a step back. Along the side of the bed and flowing onto the floor was a sickly sweet smelling yellow fluid. "Well shit..." she said under her breath just as she heard the front door slam shut.

"W-what is that?!" Paninya asked, clearly freaked out with everything that was happening. "IS THAT A BAD THING-"

"Paninya what did I say about shouting?" Dmitri asked as she used another sheet to wipe up the floor to keep from slipping in the fluid. "WINRY~~!" Dmitri called out just as Winry, Ed and Al came back into the room looking very much like drowned rats. "Did you guy's get the bridge fixed?"

Ed grit his teeth; he had been unable to make a substitute bridge with alchemy due to the heavy rain. "No; Dominic is going around the long way right now, but it might take him a while to make it to town." He said dejectedly making Dmitri bit her lip in worry.

"Well then... we might have a problem." She said making everyone look at her expectantly. "Her water just broke."

"WHHHAAAAAT?! Is that bad?!" Ed shouted.

Winry rubbed the back of her head nervously. "It mean's the baby's ready to be born..." Winry's attempt to calm the others only made them panic more.

"WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? The doctors not even here!" Al shouted in horror making Ed and Paninya squeal in fear.

Dmitri ignored them for the moment and turned her attention to Winry who looked to be deep in thought. "Hey, you're parents were doctors, right?"

Winry nodded, a deep frown falling onto her face. "Yeah, and I've read all of their books on anatomy..." She said making Dmitri beam excitedly.

"GREAT!" She said before walking over and grabbing hold of Winry's shoulder, breaking her from her thoughts. "Cause we're going to have to deliver this baby." It was Ridel's turn to panic then as he ran over to them with a look of indescribable terror on his face.

"What?! Do you two even know _how_?!"

Dmitri shrugged making him almost melt in his worry. "I've had first had experience in the birthing process, and Winry's the closest thing to an anatomy genius we have here." Ridel didn't look reassured at all as he bit at his thumb in earnest. "And, like it or not that baby isn't going to wait for the Doctor."

Winry sighed, placing a reassuring hand on Ridel's shoulder. "Dmitri's right; we don't have time to be indecisive. It'll take everyone's help, but we are gonna have to deliver the baby."

"Well, that settles that! Ok everyone!" Dmitri reached out and grabbed Ed's shoulder, effectively breaking him from his panicked shouting. "Ed, you and Al need to boil a _ton_ of water and bring it back to this room! Paninya, we need every clean towel you can find." Paninya nodded and took off through the house to collect her spoils.

"H-hey, what's going on?" Ed asked having missed the conversation due to his internal panic.

"Winry and I are going to deliver the baby, Ed. "Dmitri said making Ed gulp nervously. "The baby can't just stay in there," she said making Ed frown and nod his head in understanding. "So please take Al and get the largest bin of boiled water you can, ok?"

"Yes Ma'am!" He said before turning and grabbing Al's arm, dragging him from the room. Dmitri sighed, a confident smile on her face as she turned back to Winry who didn't look nearly as confident as her best friend.

"I asked Ridel to get us some alcohol for disinfectant..." Winry said, her hands wringing nervously in front of her.

"Good thinking." Dmitri said, placing a reassuring hand on Winry's shoulder. "Calm down, ok? Between the two of us we can do this." She said. Winry took a deep breath, releasing it slowly to calm her nerves before nodding her head in agreement. They _could_ do this.

* * *

Ed and Al were carrying the bins of water back to the room, their foot steps hurried and loud in the empty hall. They met with Paninya at the door, her arm's laden with towels as she stared frightfully at the closed door. "Come on Paninya, you heard Dmitri this isn't the time to panic!" Ed said as he tried to prod her into moving.

"This is crazy!" Paninya said, her face covered in a cold sweat. "Those two aren't doctors-"

"Winry's parents were both Doctors; she used to read their text books every night before bed when we were kids." Ed said reassuringly, though Paninya didn't seem to relieved as she bit her lower lip. "And Dmitri... let's just say she has some first hand experience with this kind of thing, alright? But all of that aside, they are the best shot we have right now-" The door opened to reveal Dmitri's face, a tight frown settled on her lips.

"Can we save the powwow for _after_ you bring the stuff in? We're on a bit of a tight schedule here." She said making Paninya jump into gear, holding the towels out to Dmitri who took them gratefully. "Thanks Paninya; would you mind staying to help out a bit more?" Paninya reluctantly nodded her head yes as Dmitri turned back to Ed and Al. "You boys can bring the water in and set it off the side; we won't need it right away. After that, I'd really appreciate it if you guys would wait out in the hall until we're finished."

Ed made a squeamish face. "Like we wanted to watch in the first place!" He said as he and Al did as instructed and set the water off to the side. They turned to leave, pausing to take a look at Winry and Dmitri as they hurried about, giving instructions to Paninya and Ridel, and sanitizing everything. They both looked so confident and determined, it washed away a great deal of the worry that had been rolling around in Ed and Al's guts. "Come on Al. They got this." Ed said, motioning for Al to join him in the hall.

Once the door shut behind them, it all became a waiting game; would it take only a couple minutes? Or would the process take hours? Ed sighed, lacing his hands behind his head as he leaned against the wall beside the door. All he could do now was sit tight and- **_"AAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!"_** Ed and Al both jumped three feet in the air when Satera's screams of anguish ripped thro- **_"NOOOOOOOO! AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"_** The two boys shuffled as far away from the door as they could and huddled together in a far off corner, their entire bodies shaking in horror- **_"I'M GONNA DIE!"_**

"B-Big b-brother...?" Al said, his voice shaking as the screams continued. Other sound's could be heard as well, such as low talking and a few thumps of god only knows what falling to the floor, all of which only added to the brothers terror.

"I know this sound's kind of pathetic, but right now... I'm scared to my _core_ Al." Ed said, his hands coming up to muffle the sound's of Satera's screams. Al nodded his head in agreement; his armor was shaking uncontrollably, and the screaming only echoed inside his hollow shell making it impossible for him to block it out. "I guess, this is one of the times when all you can do is pray, huh? Damn it, as if I didn't feel useless enough..."

And so the two sat, huddled together in a corner waiting for the storm that raged around them to end.


	20. Teacher

Ed and Al sat out in the hall for felt like an eternity with nothing to do but listen to Satera's screams. It was torture for them, but they couldn't help but wonder how the girls were fairing in the other room. Was everything going ok? Surely they would have come out to tell them other wise... Ed tucked his head into his chin, his hands covering his ears in an effort to lessen the sound... _is every birth like this?... mom... Dmitri... were they in this much pain too?..._

"Brother!" Al said as he grabbed Ed's shoulder and shook him from his thoughts. "It stopped..." Al's voice was tight with worry as the two boy's pushed themselves up from their spot on the floor.

Ed walked over to the door, pressing his ear against it's surface; Al was right. All sound had stopped from the other side of the door. What happened? Was everything ok? If they were done, shouldn't the baby be crying by now- before Ed could work himself into a full blown panic the door creaked open and Paninya pushed past him, her tan skin unusually pale and her legs trembling as she crumpled to the floor. "The blood..." She said as Ed and Al knelt down beside her. "All that blood... it's too much..."

Ed and Al both rushed to the door to find Winry in a very similar state, sitting on her knees with her arm's covered in splotches of blood up to her elbows. Al was the first to speak, making Winry jump out of her shock. "Winry, what happened?!" He asked earnestly. Winry couldn't bring herself to speak and merely shook her head and pointed to the other end of the room with a trembling hand. Ed and Al looked over, their breath catching in their throat when the gargled sound of a baby's first cries started to fill the room.

Satera lay in the bed, her face pale and covered in sweat. Ridel was knelt beside her bed, his hands extended out to accept a squirming, screaming baby from Dmitri who was covered in blood from practically head to toe. The moment Ridel had the child securely in his hands, a look of indescribable relief and joy fell onto his face and tears gathered in the corner of his eyes. "Satera..." He said, bringing the crying babe down to present him to his mother. "He's beautiful..."

Ed and Al looked at each other, a huge grin splitting across Ed's face. "It's okay!" They cheered, the two of them pumping their hands into the air. Ed turned to peek out into the hallway, laughing when he saw Paninya laying in a useless lump on the floor. "Sheesh, Paninya, don't scare us like that!" He said good naturedly, earning a groan from the mentally scared girl.

"Bloooood... I can't stand the sight of blood..." Paninya said making everyone in the other room laugh.

Dmitri stood up from her spot beside Ridel, using the relatively clean back side of her hand to wipe the sweat off her brow. "Yeah, if I had known that I probably wouldn't have made her stay in here to help. "She said sheepishly as she fetched one of the pales of (now) lukewarm water. "Now, we just need to wash him off and clean up and we'll be all done!" Ed moved to help with the clean up but was stopped when he felt a tug on the hem of his shirt. Looking down he found Winry giving him a weary smile.

"Help me up..." she said making Ed give her a dumbfounded look. "I was so relieved when it was over, that I lost all the strength in my legs..." Ed and Al shared a small chuckle as Ed knelt down and let Winry crawl onto his back. "Thank's Ed."

"Don't even mention it." He said cheerfully as he readjusted his hold on her legs. "You guy's just did something so awesome, I couldn't possibly pick on you right now!" Ed made his way into the hall, planning to take Winry to a room at the other end were he knew there were some chairs for her sit. "Seriously Winry, that was awesome!"

"You keep saying "awesome." That sounds like something a _kid_ would say." Winry said with a small laugh as Ed entered the kitchen, making a B-line for a chair.

"Well what would you call the birth of a new life?" Ed asked enthusiastically. "What Alchemists have been unable to do for hundreds of years of research, a woman can do in less then ten months!" Winry rolled her eyes, a small smile falling onto her lips at the sound of his admiration and excitement. "What happened tonight was scary as hell, but it was so awesome- human beings are awesome." Ed reached out to pull one of the chairs out from the table, grunting at the effort of trying to hold Winry on his back with only one arm.

"Um, Ed..." Winry said making Ed glance over his shoulder at her just as he managed to pull the chair out with out dropping it. "I opened your watch... and I saw what was inside-!" Ed let go of Winry's legs without warning, allowing her to fall off his back and straight to the floor where she landed smack dab on her ass with a little yelp. "AHH! Hey, that-"

"You..." Ed pinched the bridge of his nose in an effort to control his temper and he turned to stare his childhood friend down with an intense glare. " _You forced it open?!_ " He demanded, trying hard to keep the volume of his voice down; he didn't want anyone to hear him and come running to see what was going on. No, this was between him and his older sister.

"I'm sorry." Winry said, her head bowed contritely and her fingers playing nervously with the hem of her skirt. "I'm _really_ sorry."

Ed stood there for a moment just glaring down at the top of her head. Was he pissed? Hell yes he was! Where did she get off- he took a deep breath to calm his temper before reach out out a hand to help her up off the floor. "You idiot." He said as she took his offered hand, allowing him to pull her up off the floor before taking a seat in the chair he had pulled for her. Ed then walked around the table and fell into a chair across from her, his hands shoved deep in his pockets as he scowled down at the floor. "I've never shown that to anyone... not even Al."

"Why not?" Winry asked making Ed's scowl shift into a dejected frown.

"The fact that I carry around this watch to remind me of the promise that I made to myself-using it to keep myself going-makes me feel so pathetic." He said solemnly while slouching even further down in his chair, wishing he could just blend in with it and disappear for the time being. Sniffling from the other side of the table made him glance up through his bangs just in time to see Winry wiping at her eyes. "Why are _you_ crying?"

"Because," Winry said, sniffling a little more. "You and Al never cry... so I'm crying for you."

"Idiot..." Ed said before letting out a big sigh. "Why don't you go back home? I'm sure seeing _that_ is making you miss it, and Granny's probably getting lonely by herself."

Winry finished wiping her eyes before she shot him a sad frown. "Seeing it made me realize that I _couldn't_ go home. You burned down your own home... and then you wrote that in your watch so you'd never turn back. I wan't to be able to help you guys, so your road's not so hard." Winry's face became hard then, and determination shined in her eyes. "I want to get better at making automail, so I can make you the best set ever. So I'm going to ask Mr. Dominic one more time to accept me as his apprentice."

Ed looked up at her, a small smile appreciative smile on his face. "Yeah? Good luck."

"Thanks." Winry said, giving him her own smile though it soon turned into a scolding frown. "You know, you shouldn't talk as if you don't actually have anywhere to call home. You know that Granny and I will always be there for you, jerk!"

With the warm moment ruined Ed scowled at her once again. "Wait a minute, now _I'm_ the jerk?! Of course I know that!" He said defensively making Winry turn her nose up snottily. "And what's up with this all of a sudden anyways? You make it sound like I blatantly disowned you guys, and while that may sound tempting at the moment, you know that's not true!"

"It just bothers me; everyone has at least _one_ thing that they call home!" Winry said making Ed roll his eyes in annoyance. "Home doesn't have to be a place you know; it could be anything! Like a train booth, or a specific book- hell, even a _person_ could be home!" Now this made Ed pause; he'd never really thought about it like that before. Sure, he didn't technically have a _house_ to go "home" too, but did that mean he didn't have a home? "Home is were your _heart_ is Ed; haven't you ever heard that before?"

* * *

"Hey there little guy! I'm your Grandpa!" Dominic stood above Satera and his new born grandson, an uncharacteristic grin spread over his face. Ed and Al stood off to the side, disturbed looks on their faces. "That's _my_ grandson! Ain't you the cutest little guy!"

Ed leaned over to whisper to Al, using his hand to cover his mouth to avoid Dominic hearing him. "Am I the _only_ one freaked out right now? I kind of miss the cranky version..." Al nodded his head in agreement just as the Doctor came walking into the room. It had taken Dominic and the Doctor almost a full three hours to make the trip back, and they were both very shocked to find that not only had the birth already happened, Satera and the baby were both in outstanding condition.

"Both mother and child are in good physical condition." The Doctor said after taking a look at Satera's vitals. "It seems that even the post delivery process was handled well."

Dominic let out a relieved sigh. "What a relief. What with the the storm, I didn't know what was gonna happen." The doctor turned then to look at Winry and Dmitri who were standing just behind him.

"I have to give you two young ladies credit; even adults get scared over being in charge of delivering a baby." He said making Winry flush bright red and shake her head feverishly.

"NONONONO! It was nothing, really!" Dmitri, fresh from the shower and completely blood free, put a hand on Winry's shoulder and gave her a reassuring look.

"Come on Winry, don't be so modest. You deserve the praise, I mean after all I just played catcher." She said with a wink, her words only adding to Winry's embarrassment.

Satera laughed lightly before she motioned down to the sleeping infant. "If he had come out on the day that he was supposed to, none of this trouble would have happened." She said teasingly.

Al giggled, gaining everyone's attention. "He was probably born early because Ed touched your tummy; his inpatients rubbed off on him."

Ed bristled, a nervous smile falling onto his face. "It's MY FAULT?!" Everyone laughed at his expense, turning his unease into irritation at the drop of a hat.

"Well, the baby was delivered without any problems so everything turned out okay." The doctor said as everyone calmed down with their laughter.

Dominic turned then, pinning Dmitri and Winry with a very stern look that made the two of them break out in a nervous sweat. "Everyone- especially you two young ladies- you really helped us out. I don't say this often..." He bowed then making the four traveling companions eyes widen in shock. "Thank you. For everything."

Winry smiled sheepishly, a large smile stretched out over her face. "No need to be so formal; it was really no trouble for us at all."

Ed's, as if struck by lightning, suddenly moved to stand beside Dominic, a smug smile on his face. "Does this mean you'd be willing to reconsider taking on an _apprentice_?"

"No." Dominic said, his lips falling into a grim line. "I'm grateful for all you have done here, but the two subjects have nothing to do with each other. I _don't_ take on _apprentices_." Everyone in the room visibly wilted a little; this old man was just to damn stubborn- "But... I guess I could introduce you to another good mechanic in town who's looking for an apprentice." Dominic crossed his arms over his chest then and turned his head to the side stubbornly. "And I _guess_ I couldn't stop you if you wanted to come up here to visit my grandson from time to time..."

Winry's whole face lit up at once before she bowed at the waist. "Thank you!" Dominic grunted in response, a light tinge of pink coming to his cheeks. Guess big, bad grandpa had a soft side after all.

* * *

"Here it is." Paninya said, reaching through a door way to flip the light switch beside the door frame. The room she had brought Ed and Dmitri too was modest in size, with two twin sized mattresses laying on the floor, a single large sheet and blanket laying over top of them making one single bed. There was about four feet of walking space on either side of the sleeping area, and a huge window on the wall above it that showed off the canyon and the clearing sky above. "It's not much, but Ridel said that you guys are welcome to stay here until it's light out. I don't plan on leaving yet myself; it's dangerous to try and walk the back way at night."

Dmitri walked over to the bed and practically melted into it, burying her face into one of the two pillows. "It's like looking into the eyes of heaven..." she groaned making Ed and Paninya laugh.

Ed turned to Paninya, a warm smile on his face. "Thanks! We really appreciate it." Ed said before taking his right arm and socking Paninya right upside the back of her head. "NOW GIVE ME BACK MY WATCH, YOU LITTLE THIEF!"

"YEOW!" Paninya cried out, grabbing hold of the back her head while animated tears fell down her cheeks. "Jeeze! You didn't have to hit me with your _right_ hand ya know!" She complained as she fished his pocket watch from her pant pocket and handed it to him.

Ed snatched the watch from her hand, brandishing his left hand in a threatening way. "Fine, I'll hit you with my _left_ hand!" Paninya yelped in shock, dodging Ed's second hit before bolting down the hall to get away from the violent blonde. "Little pick pocket..." Ed grumbled as he fully entered the room, flipping his watch open for a quick inspection before tucking it away in his pants for safe keeping. "She's lucky we didn't turn her in to the MP's!"

Dmitri laughed into the pillows for a moment, only turning her head to acknowledge him when Ed flopped down onto the far edge of the bed and started removing his boots. "Come on Ed, lighten up; Paninya's a good kid. I think her thieving days are over." She said making Ed grumble moodily, though he didn't try to dispute what she said. Dmitri rolled her eyes and turned over onto her back so she could stare up at the ceiling. Today had been a long, trying day; it was nice to know that she was going to be able to sleep in a real bed. But the thought of falling to sleep made a small frown fall onto her face; what if she had that dream again?

Just the thought of the previous nights dream sent goose bumps rushing over her skin; never before had a dream affected her so negatively. Who was that man? What had he done to her? Flashes of her abdomen expanding, and splitting open filled her head; what did it all mean? Or was it only her mind playing a filthy trick on her- Dmitri shook her head, ridding herself of the thoughts and images. Thinking about it would only make it harder for her to sleep- Dmitri nearly jumped clear out of her skin when a hand reached over and touched her shoulder. "AHH-" She shouted making Ed pull his hand back in surprise.

"Whoa! Sorry, I did't mean to scare you!" Ed said as Dmitri took a deep breath to calm herself. "You just... you had this weird look on your face..." An awkward silence took over then, making it hard for either one of them to look at each other. "...do you wanna talk about it, ooorrr...?"

"Ah, no it's ok!" Dmitri said, waving Ed's worry off quickly. "Really- I was just thinking of something stupid..." Again they fell into silence, with Ed giving her a skeptical look that had Dmitri fidgeting nervously. "Anyways! Did Winry talk to you? I'm assuming so since you weren't shocked by the fact that your watch was open just a moment ago."

Ed rolled his eyes as he set about getting ready for bed; he'd figure out what was wrong with her later... "Yeah, she talked to me alrigh-?" He paused in the process of taking off his tank top, a sudden thought popping into his head. "HEY!" He spun around, giving her an irritated glare. "You were in on that?!"

"Not really-!"

Ed tossed his tank top off jerkily, turning away from her to start working on his belt buckle. "What the hell is wrong with the two of you?! You'd think the fact that it was sealed shut with _alchemy_ that it would be obvious that I didn't want anyone looking inside there-!?" A pillow hit the back of his head with enough force that it nearly sent him head first off the edge of the mattress. "GAHH! What-?!" Ed glared at her over his shoulder. "What the hell was that for...?"

Dmitri's glare was so fierce it made Ed break out in a cold sweat. She was sitting up on her knee's now, her cheeks flushed red in anger and small tears beading in the corner of her eyes. "Will you _stop_ jumping to fucking conclusions?!" She shouted at him making Ed frown deeply. "For your information, I didn't know anything about there being a big secret in there until _after_ Winry had already pried it open! And, it was ME who told her off about doing so! Not to mention I'm the one who told her she should tell you about what she did!" Dmitri huffed before falling back onto the bed and rolling as far away from him as she could, leaving Ed looking at her back while he rubbed his neck contritely. "Why are you always accusing me of shit?"

Ed frowned, pulling off his belt and folding it up before laying over his boots. "I don't always accuse you of shit-"

"Bull!" She said making his shoulders stiffen up defensively. "Just a week ago you wouldn't even _look_ at me because you just "assumed" I was in cohorts with those _freaks_ from the lab!"

"I already apologized for that-" Ed turned to look at her, pausing in his words when he saw Dmitri's shoulders shaking. "Hey..." When she didn't answer, Ed let out a pensive sigh, running his left hand through is bangs and to the back of his head, releasing his braid from it's tie and shaking it loose. He threw the tie away from himself irritably, his mind going a mile a minute as he berated himself. He couldn't deny that she had a point; he _had_ jumped to conclusions, though he _knew_ better then to assume that Dmitri was involved in Winry's escapade. Logically, he understood that Dmitri wasn't someone to go poking her nose into other people personal business. But he's always had this illogical fear of-

Dmitri turned over then, a deep frown still present on her face and her eyes still moistened though she had managed to stop crying. "The night that Nina died..." Ed held his breath, unwilling to turn to look at her; they hadn't really talked about Nina since the day they were attacked by Scar, at least not in a serious sense. While he couldn't account for Dmitri and Al, Ed himself was scared to bring up the topic- he couldn't bare the guilt if he said wrong thing, sending all of them back into the dark depression they had struggled so hard to suppress. "You accused me of killing her when you found her blood on my cloths in the shower."

"I-" Ed turned, prepared to defend himself only to come to a dead stop when a memory from that night resurfaced-

 _Ed nodded, the small smile on his face falling into a frown. "Dmitri..." She hummed in answer, still unwilling to relinquish her hold on his arm. The water in the shower was starting to cool, making her shiver a little. "I have to tell you something... about Nina."_

 _Dmitri sighed, tiling her head back and letting the chilled water run over her face. "She's dead."_

 _Ed's eyes widened in shock. "H-how did you know? Who told you?"_

 _Dmitri's head fell as she brought her right hand up to her face, inspecting her own fingers and palm as if comparing it to his own. "...Who's blood do you think this is..."_

 _Ed jumped away from her as if burned, coming to his knee's with his hands laying flat against the floor. He gave Dmitri a horrified glare. "What?!" He hissed out. "You didn't do it- tell me, you-"_

-Ed shook his head at the memory, rubbing his face with his left hand. He couldn't believe he-" I'm sorry..."

"Don't." Dmitri said, laying her arm over her eyes as she felt another wave of tears starting to gather. Ed peeked at her through his fingers, a deep frown tugging at his lips. "The past cannot be changed, forgotten, edited or erased; it can only be accepted, Ed. I won't lie and say that it didn't hurt, but I can't blame you for that one- I would have reacted the same way if I had been in your shoes that night."

"But that doesn't make it right!" Ed hissed, his temper flaring up once again though this time it was himself he was pissed at. What the hell was wrong with him- how could he just say something like that?! And what was she thinking, just letting it slide? "I don't mean to always accuse you of this stuff, and I don't know _why_ I do these things but," he turned toward and crawled over to her on the mattress and pulled her arm off her face so he could look her in the eye, determination etched into every inch of his face. "I can't promise that it won't happen again, but I _can_ promise to try and be better about it..." Dmitri's eyes widened in surprise as Ed leaned down, laying his forehead against her collarbone to hide the pinprick of tears that had gathered in the corner of his eyes. "I'm sorry that I hurt you again..."

* * *

Winry yawned and stretched her arm's above her head as she and Al made their way down the hall towards the room they were being provided for the night by Ridel and Dominic; after such a long and emotional day, they were both ready to settle in for the night. "Man, I'm so happy that it's bed time!" Winry said earning a chuckle from Al as they neared the door. "I bet Ed and Dmitri are already asleep, those bums! They never came back for desert..."

"Well brother didn't sleep very well on the train, so it wouldn't surprise me if he was sleeping." Al said earning a curious look from Winry.

"Really? That's surprising, normally he sleeps like the dead-" Winry and Al both came to a dead stop when they opened the door to the room they would be staying in for the night, finding quite the surprise awaiting them. Dmitri was laying on the right side of the bed, face up and sound asleep with the blanket still folded up at the bottom of mattress. Directly to her left was Ed, his head laying on the left side of her chest and his left arm laying limply over her waist and his hand wrapped loosely around her right wrist. He too was in a deep sleep though his nose twitched every few seconds as a stray strand of his hair tickled it with his every breath.

Al and Winry glanced repeatedly between each other and the bed, with Winry's mouth hanging open in blatant shock. "Al...?" Winry whispered urgently, earning an embarrassed look from Al. "You got a camera?"

* * *

"COME ON BOY'S!" Dmitri shouted as they ran to try and catch their train which was quickly pulling out of the station. Al, who was running ahead of her, managed to grab hold of the back car of the train, pulling himself onto the rear balcony. Ed tossed Al his suit case and jumped next, accepting Al's help in getting onto the back of the train.

"Be careful out there!" Winry shouted from the train station, making Ed and Al glance back at her.

"Don't worry-!" Ed shouted just as Dmitri tossed her luggage to Al. She then jumped, her hand barely reaching Ed's as he reached out to pull her onto the train. Winry and Dmitri both squealed in fear when Ed started to fall forward off the back of the train, only being saved by Al grabbing the back of his coat and pulled two blondes to safety.

"I've got their backs!" Al said, finishing Ed's sentence from before. "You be careful too Winry! Make sure you call Granny and let her know you're alright!" He said as Dmitri and Ed waved cheekily at Winry's rapidly shrinking form.

"LIKE I NEED _YOU THREE_ OF ALL PEOPLE TO REMIND ME!" She shouted making all three of them laugh. "You better call when you get there!" Winry shouted, though she knew that train was to far away for the her two little brothers and best friend to hear her any more. A sad smile fell onto her face as she watched the train vanish from sight. "Well, might as well start making good on my promise. But first..." Winry reached into her skirt pocket, pulling out a Polaroid photo that she and Al had taken the other night of the sleeping Ed and Dmitri. "I gotta send a little post card~~!" She sang as she skipped away from the terminal, a truly elated smile stretched out over her face.

* * *

"Soooooooo..." Dmitri stood beside Ed and Al, the three of them looking up at a store front with a large sign reading "meat" on it's front. She glanced between the building and the trembling boy's, her brow quirked curiously. "This is the place?" The two boy's nodded in unison, the fear clear on both of their faces despite Al not having his flesh and blood body. That must be some intense fear they were feeling. "... are you going to knock?"

"Uhhhhh..." Al said nervously while Ed shook his head rapidly, their reluctance to face their teacher starting to grate on Dmitri's nerves. However, she was saved the trouble of taking matters into her own hands when someone came up behind them, effectively scareing the living daylights out of Ed and Al with Dmitri jumping ever so slightly in surprise.

"HI! Can I help you?!" Ed and Al fell down in their fright, both turning around to see who had shouted at them. It was a young man in his mid to late twenties with black hair and kind dark brown eyes. He was pretty tall and fairly muscular, his strength proven by the fifty pound back of flour he carried over his shoulder. But despite his strength, his face was open and kind, giving away his soft hearted intentions. "Please come on in and- Edward? Is that you?" He asked once he got a good look at Ed who was busy picking himself up off the ground.

"You're Mason, right?" Ed asked, sounding a bit unsure of the young man's name. "Hi-!?"

Mason laughed heartily while patting Ed on the head. "HAHAHA! You've gotten so big!" He said, making Ed fume irritably. Dmitri snickered behind her hand, earning a glare from the corner of Ed's eye. Mason turned then, looking up at Al curiously. "Who's the guy in the armor?"

"Uh, it's me, Alphonse..." Al said nervously earning a wide eyed look from Mason.

"Wow... you've REALLY gotten big..." He said before turning his eyes to Dmitri who was busy trying to ignore the irritated glare Ed was still sending her way.

"And who is _this_ pretty little lady Ed? A girlfriend of yours?" Mason said in a taunting tone making Ed's cheeks turn a light shade of pink. Dmitri stepped forward though, saving Ed from his embarrassment by extending her hand out to Mason who shook it happily.

"My names Dmitri Ann Armstrong; I''ve been traveling with Ed and Al over the last four months." She said, flashing Mason a dazzling smile that made stars come to the young man's eyes. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mason."

"T-the pleasure's all mine!" Mason stammered, a light shade of pink coming to his cheeks as Dmitri released his hand. He turned to Ed then, who was fuming and glaring daggers at him much to Mason's embarrassment. "Y-you came to see Izumi, right? Give me a second- she just got back from a trip! Lucky you!" Mason rushed into the shop and called out for his boss, announcing Ed and Al's arrival.

Ed turned his glaring eyes to Dmitri, who returned his scowl with a smile. "He seems like a nice man." She said making Ed huff and turn his head away irritably. Al chuckle, his whole body shaking as he tried to restrain his mirth. "You alright over there Al? You're not cracking up from your nerves are you?" Dmitri asked, with Al shaking his head and waving his hand in a way that said "don't worry about it".

At that moment the sound of very heavy foot falls came from within the meat shop, bringing all of the talk and laughter to a dead stop. Ed and Al both looked nervously at the door, which slammed open to reveal... a torso and legs?! A massive man, one that may give Armstrong's monstrous self a run for his money, bent over to step out of the shop, a bloody carving knife in his hands and blood stains on his white apron. He had a strong, masculine face framed by a thick dark beard, short dark brown hair and menacing brown eyes which were glaring down at Ed _and_ Al. Being used to large men, Dmitri found it odd that this man put even herself on edge as she barely came up to his rib cage. Was _this_ their teacher?!

"Hmmmm... Ed?" The large man said, his voice just as deep and scary as he appeared to be. Ed smiled nervously, his head barely nodding yes to the monsters question. The big man reached out and grabbed Ed's head with a hand that was larger then Dmitri's face, roughly rubbing it in affection. "Good to see you. You've gotten big." He said before turning to Al. "And who is this?"

"A-ah, it's me- Alphonse. It's good to see you again Sig-!" The large man, Sig, reached out and rubbed the top of Al's armor, making a light blush come to the boys metal cheeks.

"I see. You've _really_ gotten big." Sig then turned to Dmitri, his hard face falling into a look of contemplation before he turned back to the boys. "Why the sudden visit?" He asked Ed, who rubbed the back of his head with a nervous laugh.

"There was something we wanted to ask our teacher..." He said earning a small frown from Sig.

"OKay." He said, eyeing Dmitri again before he turned and motioned for them all to follow. "Come with me. Mason!" Mason popped his head out the front door, a curious look on his face. "Watch the store will you?"

"Yes sir!" Mason said, his cheeks turning pink as he glanced Dmitri's way. She didn't seem to notice him though as she followed after the boy's and Sig, the four of them traveling to the back of the shop. There was another door there, though it was obvious from the flower beds and door mat that this was the actual living space of the shop. Sig walked up to an open window, leaning against the frame with his elbow as she addressed someone on the other side. "Hey, Izumi. The Elric kids are here." He said. A feminine voice answered from inside, their tone light hearted though strong.

"Ed and Al?"

"Are you alright to get up?" Sig asked making Ed, Al and Dmitri share a curious look.

"I think so. I feel a little better today." Izumi said, making Sig nod in understanding. He then turned and walked back and past the teens, grabbing Dmitri's arm and dragging her with him in the process much to her shock.

"Ummmm, excuse me...?" She said as Sig came to a stop, his massive hand staying firmly on her shoulder. "Can I help you sir?"

"You'll wan't to stay over here with me." He said it as if it should explain everything, but Dmitri wasn't about to try and fight back against a man who's hand was larger then her entire head. After a moment though, it became obvious why he had dragged her away as the door to the back of the house flew open and a dainty foot emerged, slamming into the back of Ed's head and sending him tumbling all the way across the yard and into the street, screaming all the way. Dmitri gaped in open mouthed awe as Al nearly melted in his fear when the owner of said attacking foot came storming out of the house.

"Well, if it isn't my _fool_ of an apprentice!" The woman, Izumi, shouted as she came to stand on the front stoop, her hand's placed firmly on her hips. She was averge height and slender in her build, with long dark dread locked hair and dark almost black blue eyes. To be perfectly honest, she didn't look nearly as intimidating as Ed and Al made her out to be, but watching her kick Ed across her back yard, Dmitri knew this wasn't a woman anyone should mess with.

"Oh, I like her." Dmitri said with a wide smile, earning a questioning look from Sig. Izumi turned then, her fierce eyes landing on the terrified Al. When the small woman flipped the suit of armor like he was nothing more then a tin can, Dmitri knew one thing for sure. She had found her new idol, and that idol was Izumi Curtis, the House Wife.


	21. Expelled

... _maybe this wasn't such a good idea..._ Dmitri thought as she sipped idly at her tea, trying her hardest to ignore the suffocating silence that had fallen over everyone in the kitchen. After getting a scolding from Izumi about joining the military (which left Ed with a sizable welt on his forehead) Izumi and Sig invited all of them in to chat over tea. The conversation was going smoothly, with Ed and Al telling stories of their travels enthusiastically. Yes, everything was going swimmingly... until Ed asked Izumi about the philosophers stone, landing them all in the most awkward silence Dmitri had yet to encounter while traveling with the exuberant Elric brothers.

Izumi, who's face had been joyous and open only a moment ago, stared each one of them down, her dark blue eyes lingering first on Al, then Ed and finally settling on Dmitri who sat between the two fidgeting brothers. "The Philosophers stone...?" She said curiously making Ed and Al's fidgeting escalate to nervous laughter and even a cold sweat in Ed's case. "Why do you want to research something that's just a legend?"

Ed cleared his throat a little, his brain working on overtime in an attempt to come up with a convenient excuse.. _damn it, of course she's going to want to know WHY we're interested in the stone!..._ "W-well, you see teacher- it's-!" Ed jumped in his seat when he felt a hand squeeze his right knee, effectively cutting off his stumbling words.

"Intellectual curiosity." Dmitri said, her grip on Ed's knee loosening up when Izumi's scrutinizing eyes shifted from the elder Elric brother to Dmitri herself. Unlike Ed and Al, Dmitri appeared to be completely at ease under the teachers unwavering gaze, and even went as far as to flash Izumi a small smile. "We've come across mentions of the stone during our various escapades and we've started assembling a small collection of notes in our spare time. When Ed and Al mentioned that they wanted to come see you again, I suggested that we inquire about the stone to see if you could give us any new information."

Izumi leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest as she eyed the three teens with growing suspicion. Ed and Al were acting strange, which put her on high alert; it was obvious that they weren't telling her the entire truth, but the lack of apprehension from this new girl, this Dmitri Armstrong, left Izumi strangely doubting her own intuition. "I've never had an interest in the stone myself..." she said, making Ed and Al's shoulders slump in mild defeat. "But I know I've heard something recently." Izumi's brow furrowed in thought; where had she heard about it, the Philosophers stone... Ed reached out for his tea cup, his hand's shaking in excitement despite his attempts to act natural. This was _it_ , he could feel it! His teacher had another lead for them to follow-

"What about that Alchemist we met on our last visit to Central?" Sig, who had been silent for most of the time they were in the kitchen, said to Izumi. "He seemed to know a lot about the stone."

Recognition flashed across Izumi's face, her left fist falling into her right palm enthusiastically. "Oh yeah, that guy! What was his name again?" Izumi put her finger up to her chin, once again falling into deep thought. "It's right on the tip of my tongue..." Ed, Al and Dmitri all sat forward, their faces eager for Izumi to give them the name of their next lead on the stone. "I think he called himself... Hohenheim."

It took every ounce of Ed's self control to keep himself in his seat, to stop himself from breaking everything around him in an attempt to release the raging fire of hatred that welled up inside his heart at the mention of that mans name... _Hohenheim..._ just thinking it to himself made his blood boil and his teeth clench so aggressively it was a wonder that his gums hadn't started to bleed under the pressure... _that bastard!_

To his right Dmitri's eyes widened in shock as the name struck a familiar cord somewhere in the back of her mind. "Hohenheim..."she mumbled to herself, the name tasting familiar on her tongue... _I know I've heard that name before... but I don't recall ever meeting anyone-_

"What was he like?!" Al shouted, his outburst making everyone at the table jump in surprise. Everyone but Ed that is, who had taken to squeezing his knee's in an effort to calm himself down. "Was he tall, with blonde hair, glasses and a beard?!"

Izumi frowned a bit, her brow furrowing in concentration as she tried to remember what the man, Hohenheim, had looked like. "That _sounds_ like him..." The lightest bit of color came to her cheeks as the full memory of Hohenheim came back to her. He was tall, with strong broad shoulders and a firm hand shake. His smile was infectious, though it never seemed to reach his golden eyes, in which laid a deep mystery that Izumi was sure nobody could ever comprehend. He had peeked her interest, that was for sure, but when they had parted way's she had almost forgotten all about him until this very moment. "His beard made it hard to tell how old he was but, he was pretty good looking." Sig visibly wilted at Izumi's observation, prompting his wife to laugh and smack him on the shoulder.

While Izumi and Sig share a small moment of playful banter, Dmitri and the boy's were lost in their own minds. Dmitri was stumped; she _knew_ that she had heard that name before, but she just couldn't pin point exactly where. Maybe it had been in one of the books she had seen the boy's reading? Wouldn't they have mentioned something to her, if they knew one of the researchers they were studying on a personal level?... _Hohenheim...blonde hair... beard..._ an image of the man from the nightmare that had tormented her just a couple nights ago on the ride to Rush Valley passed through Dmitri's head, nearly making her physically recoil in disgust... _get ahold of yourself damn it... that's not even possible- it has to be a coincidence... THAT man- he isn't handsome at all... he's just a monster..._

"-know him?" Izumi's question sliced through Dmitri's thoughts, bringing her back to the here and now. Beside her, Ed's grip on his knees had grown tighter; he was sure to bruise his left leg from the pressure he was putting on it with his automail, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

"He's...our father..." Al said, his previous enthusiasm giving way to a deep melancholy. The silence that filled the room was suffocating- or maybe it was only Dmitri who felt that way as the news had literally shocked the air from her lungs.

Izumi and Sig looked taken back, both their eyes wide in shock. "Father? You mean the one who walked out all those years ago?" Izumi asked, earning an affirmative though hesitant node from Al. "That's _perfect_ then." Izumi said, a smug smirk falling onto her lips. "It's the least he could do, and I'm sure he's still in Centr-"

"No way-!" Ed shouted, slamming his right hand onto the table with enough force he nearly knocked the cups from its surface. Everyone in the room jumped in surprise as Ed's control on his anger finally snapped. "That... _BASTARD,_ is the _last_ person I would ever ask for help!"

"Edward..." Dmitri put a firm hand on his shoulder, making every muscle in Ed's body tense up before he let out a shuddering sigh, his frustration and anguish going out like a candle. He shifted to pull his hand back, but paused when he noticed a large crack in the wood grain from the force of his automail hitting the table.

Ed grimaced and clenched his right hand into a fist, the glint of his automail wrist in the dim light of the kitchen shinning up at him mockingly... _that bastard... after everything we've been through because of him... if I ever see him, I'll deck'im for sure-_ "Ed," Dmitri's hand came into his line of sight, her warm fingers covering the cold steal of his wrist from view. "It's okay; we're not going to ask him for anything." She said as she pulled his now limp arm off the table and down into his lap, shifting her hold so she was gripping his hand in hers.

Ed looked at their joined hands, frustrated that he couldn't actually feel her hand in his. He carefully gripped her hand in return, the action alleviating enough of his tension to allow him to look up at the others who had yet to make a single sound in the after math of his outburst. His eyes settled on Izumi who looked to be on the brink of tearing his head off for his tantrum. "...I'm sorry Teacher. I'll fix the table..." he said contritely, making Izumi let out a pensive sigh.

"Your damn right you will!" She shouted making Ed, Al and Dmitri flinch. Izumi stood up then and crossed her arm's over her chest as she stared the three of them down. "But first, I need you and Al to run to the market. Dmitri, you will stay and help with lunch preparations; after that, we will all sit down to eat!"

"Y-YES MA'AM!" Ed and Al said, the two of them sitting up at attention. The three teen's shot each other frightened looks as Izumi turned from them with an irritated scowl.

When she didn't hear any movement from behind her, Izumi shot the three teens the glare of death over her shoulder. "What are you waiting for?! Get moving!"

* * *

After sending Ed and Al scurrying from the house with a small shopping list, Izumi and Dmitri found themselves in the kitchen once again, the two of them working side by side in preparing a spaghetti lunch. Izumi had stared right in on her interrogation of the new girl, requesting information from Dmitri that most others had ever bothered to learn, let alone ask.

"How old are you?"

"17."

"Birthday?"

"June 15th."

"Full name."

"Dmitri Ann Armstrong, but my code name in the government is Lead." Izumi quirked a brow at that bit of information, making Dmitri chuckle sheepishly as she continued to slice up the onions for the sauce. "The Fuhrer has a habit of handing out code names affiliated with an Alchemist's specialty. Mine just so happens to be gun's, or more specifically, the lead bullets that I transmute, hence the code name Lead."

Izumi frowned a bit as she diced up a few tomatoes. "And how did you meet the Elric's? I assume it was through your work with the military."

Dmitri nodded as she poured the chopped onion into the sauce pan, letting out a satisfied sigh when she heard the oil sizzle in response. "Yeah, I was instructed by our mutual commanding officer to meet up with Ed and Al in an old mining town called Yuswell, and I've been with the two of them ever since." She put her finger up to her chin, her brow furrowing in thought. "That was just over four, maybe five months ago? Huh..." Dmitri scratched the side of her face thoughtfully... _has it really been only five months?... time sure does fly when you're running for your life 85% of the time..._

Izumi, after having added tomatoes to the sauce pan, turned to regard Dmitri with a stern, yet curious look. "And how long have you been instructed to follow them?" She asked making Dmitri frown ever so slightly. "What will you do when your mission is considered complete? Will you walk out of their lives, never to be heard from again?"

"Fuck no!" Dmitri shouted, her outburst making Izumi quirk a questioning brow at her. "Order's or no orders, I made a promise to Ed and Al that I would never give up on them, and that's a promise I intend to keep." Dmitri's nose scrunched up in distaste at Izumi's words. "We might have only met a few months ago, but that doesn't mean that I don't care about them! And to be brutally honest, I'm a little fucking offended that you would accuse me of something when you don't have any idea who I am!" Izumi stood to the wayside, her arm's crossed over her chest and her eyes narrowed in mild contempt. Dmitri paid Izumi's sour mood no mind, and instead focused on her task of chopping the remainder of the vegetables. She grumbled under her breath irritably, her brow furrowed and her movements jerky."...where the hell are those two boys? They better not have forgotten the garlic... god help them if they've gotten into any trouble-"

Izumi sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose to alleviate the headache she felt coming on. "Are you done shouting now?"

"Maybe. That depends on what else you have to throw at me." Dmitri bit out making Izumi's brow tick furiously. "What, are you going to yell at _me_ for being a dog of the state? Or accuse me of murder? Hell, why not blame the weather on me too-"

Izumi growled and threw her kitchen knife at Dmitri's head, which she was able to dodge with very little effort though she was still mortified that Izumi would attempt to stab her. "NOW LOOK AT WHO'S ACCUSING WHO! WILL YOU SHUT UP AND LET ME TALK?!"

"GAH! YOU PSYCHOPATH!" Dmitri reached over her shoulder and pulled the knife from the wall, waving it in the air manically. "Seriously, who the hell throws kitchen knives at unsuspecting people?!" Izumi huffed and grabbed Dmitri's flailing arm, taking the knife from her before cuffing her over the back of the head. "AHH! WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!"

"For being an idiot!" Izumi said making Dmitri wince as she rubbed her abused skull. "Although I already know the answer, I'll ask you anyways; do you understand _why_ I'm questioning you?! Did you ever stop to think for a second that there was a _reason_ a complete stranger like me would be asking you such things?! HUH?!"

Dmitri frowned a bit, her cheeks turning the lightest shade of pink under Izumi's scrutinizing eyes. "Well, you did drop kick both Ed and Al for seemingly no reason, and you just threw a _knife_ at my _head_ for speaking my mind! So _no_ , I didn't take the time to try and understand your reasoning!"

Izumi cuffed Dmitri again making the teenager yelp in surprise. "And that's why you're an idiot!" Dmitri grumbled profanities under her breath between sniffles, large crocodile tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. "Those two... they had nobody to turn to when I first met them. Two young boy's who had been orphaned, they've never been the most open about the burden's they carry in their hearts." Dmitri and Izumi shared a deep frown together, with the former finally coming to an understanding with the teachers motives. "But they trust you, more then I've ever known them to trust anyone else. When I asked you what you would do once your mission to follow them was completed, I wasn't trying to piss you off, at least not entirely." Dmitri scoffed, crossing her arm's over her chest irritably. "I was trying to gauge your reaction. And you passed with flying colors."

Dmitri quirked a curious brow though the frown was still present on her face. "Passed what exactly?"

"It's simple." Izumi said as she turned back to the cooking. "If you had responded in any other way I would have beaten you to death and hidden your body somewhere where you would never be found." The way in which Izumi spoke made Dmitri audibly gulp; she was so casual about it, Dmitri couldn't help but wonder weather or not Izumi had done such a thing in the past..."Those boy's trust you, Dmitri Armstrong... and they've already suffered enough heart ache by those who would abandon them, or betray their trust."

Dmitri sighed, her previous frustrations draining away. "Well if that ever happens I'll give you one free shot with that knife of your's again." She said as she stepped up beside Izumi, the two of them taking up their own tasks with the cooking. It was as if their little tiff hadn't even happened, the two of them humming lightly under their breath when Ed and Al returned from the market.

Ed and Al glanced around the room nervously; everything _looked_ to be intact... Ed placed his bag's on the table before he walked up behind Dmitri, leaning his head over her shoulder to see what she and his teacher were working on. "What's cookin'? Smell's good..." He said, his mouth watering when he spied the home cooked sauce that bubbled on the stove. "Is it ready yet? I'm starving!"

"You're _always_ starving." Dmitri said earning a chuckle from both boys. She turned her head so she could look at Ed who's head was practically laying on her shoulder as he watched her cook, making her cheeks turn a light pink. "Ed?"

He turned his head just enough so he could look at her reddening face out of the corner of his eye. "hm?"

"Do you _mind_?"

Ed shrugged his shoulders and fought back against a smug smirk that threatened to give his motives away. "Not really." at first he really had just been curious about what the two women had been cooking, but the moment he saw the blush that had spread across Dmitri's cheeks? Game on. "Do you-AHH!" Ed barely dodged a kitchen knife that had been thrown at his head. "HOLY SHI-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Izumi shouted making Ed and Al squeal in terror. "There will be no fornication under _my_ roof, is that understood?!"

Dmitri fell onto the counter top, her face contorted in distress as Ed sputtered incoherently behind her and Al laughed manically at their expense. "...Mortification... agitation... humiliation..." Dmitri said under her breath, her face turning the most intriguing shade of red. "Dear Truth, save me from this place..." She buried her face into her arms as Izumi threw another knife at Ed's head, missing him by a mere inch and effectively chasing the two brothers out of the house. Dmitri hadn't felt so embarrassed in a long, _long_ time, and her discontent only grew when Izumi came to stand at her side again.

"Don't be so dramatic!" Izumi scolded her making Dmitri groan pathetically. "It's no secret around here what goes on between you two, I could tell just from the way you look at each other-"

"OH MY GOD NOOOOOO!" Dmitri cried out to her, almost falling to her knees in her embarrassment. " Can we _please_ not talk about this? That was so embarrassing!"

Izumi laughed at Dmitri's strife and slapped her enthusiastically on the shoulder. "Oh come on, it's perfectly natural! Why, you should have seen Sig and I back when we _first_ met-"

"Please excuse me as I off myself..."

* * *

"Hm... there are some _really_ bad people out there, huh?" Mason asked before stuffing a fork full of food into his mouth. Everyone sat around the table once again, enjoying a lively lunch. It made Dmitri chuckle a little, watching Ed, Sig and Mason eat; at least she knows where he get's his massive eating habits from... _no wonder Izumi had us make such a big meal..._

"You can say that again!" Ed said around a mouthful of spaghetti. "That guy pissed me off! His damn china was worth more then any one of those workers monthly salary!"

Dmitri threw a clean napkin into his face making him nearly choke on his food. "Don't talk with your mouth full, you're spraying sauce everywhere." She scolded making everyone at the table laugh as Ed grumbled and wiped his mouth clean. "But Ed's right; that guy was a total creep-ass; we swindled him out of the deed, sold it back to the people and then we reported him straight to our Colonel at East HQ. Last I heard, he's actually on the run."

"Well that was dumb of you." Izumi said as she sipped idly on her tea. "If you had kept the deeds to the coal mines, you'd have some financial security when you're old."

Ed snorted and pointed his fork at Dmitri making her stick her tongue out at him. "This one's already got a retirement fund started!"

"You say that like it's a bad thing..." Dmitri said, her left brow ticking irritably. "And that money's for if I even MAKE it to retirement; if I keep going along with _your_ shenanigans I'll be lucky to make it to my next birthday." Ed fumed next to her and stuffed his fork in his mouth with an annoyed grumble.

"I hope you guy's aren't doing anything _too_ risky." Sig said making all three teens glance at each other nervously. "After all, you're still kids."

AL sighed dejectedly, his shoulders slumping dramatically. "I want to live a peaceful life, but _brother_ on the other hand..."

"What the hell!" Ed complained while Dmitri snickered around her tea cup. "What's with the tag team all of a sudden?! It's not ALL my fault!"

"It's not?" Dmitri asked innocently earning an annoyed glare from Ed which made everyone laugh heartily. Dmitri pinched his cheek much to his chagrin, making him bat her hand away. "But really, it's not _always_ so dangerous."

"Yeah!" Ed shouted, his former grumpy scowl giving way to an excited grin. "We got to see a baby being born in Rush Valley!"

Al bounced in his seat, the memory of such a joyous occasion making him giggle like a small child. "That's right, Teacher! We helped deliver a baby!"

"You call that "helping out"?" Ed asked Al who rubbed the back of his helmet with a sheepish laugh. "Dmitri and Winry were the biggest help-"

"Yep," Dmitri said before she took a sip of her tea and flashed Ed a coy smile. "While you two cowered in the hall, I was elbow deep inside another woman. I feel kind of bad for that- I could have bought her dinner first, but that kid was insistent."

Ed rolled his eyes and turned back towards his teacher who was giving them all a warm hearted smile. "Anyways, it was really awesome- it's miraculous the way life can just come from nothing."

"Yes, it's always a blessing when a new life comes into this world." Izumi said making the three teens smile. "You three were all born the same way;you should always take pride in the lives you're given." Sig and Mason shot each other a hidden look, their eyes clouded over in worry.

"Hey Teacher," Ed said after he finished off his cup of tea. "Why don't you have any kid's yet?"

Mason jumped up from his seat, his eyes wide and a cold sweat beading on his forehead. " **HEY ED!** " Everyone jumped in shock as his out burst, all of them turning to look at him expectantly. "Uh...well... I bet you guys' Alchemy skills have gotten a lot better since the last time I saw you, right?! Maybe you can show me how much you've improved."

Ed perked up at the chance to show off, his face splitting into a huge grin. "Sure! Whenever you like! We did research every day, even when we returned to Resembool-" Ed and Al continued to tell Mason about their alchemic strides as the three of them stood from the table and headed for the door.

Dmitri rolled her eyes, a warm smile coming to her face as she too stood and started gathering the dishes from the table. "Well that should keep them out of trouble for a little while." She said as she moved to put the dishes in the sink. She turned to see Sig and Izumi still sitting at the table, with Izumi staring after Ed and Al with a forlorn smile in her eyes. "Izumi," Dmitri said gaining the two's attention. "Are you going to go watch? I can do the dishes..."

Izumi flashed her a wide grin before she stood from the table. "You really are a good kid, aren't you?" She said making Dmitri rub the back of her neck sheepishly. "I'll be back in to help out in a little while." She said as her and Sig exited the house, leaving Dmitri to her self assigned chore.

It took her a moment to find everything she needed under the sink, but once Dmitri got herself into a decent flow with her washing, she allowed her mind to wonder back to the questions Izumi had posed to her earlier that day; what _would_ she do once her mission was labeled as complete? She could only take so much paid leave to continue following Ed and Al around, but what then? As an active member of the military she was expected to be at the Fuhrers beck and call, and she doubted he would allow her to follow her own interests in sticking close to the boys, and Roy could only come up with so many excuses for keeping Dmitri on the Elric mission for so long... and the thought of being separated from Ed and Al made it difficult to breath... _jeeze... those two have really gone an made me soft, huh?..._

Dmitri's mind then wondered to what Izumi had said about her supposed 'relationship' with the elder Elric brother; what exactly had she meant, "she could tell by the way the two of them looked at each other"? Was there something the Dmitri was missing? She tried to think back to all the time's she had looked at Ed, weather it was out of habit, natural reaction or when he was actively seeking the rooms attention; she didn't remember seeing anything different in their shared glances, or feeling any differently, but Izumi claimed that she could see _something_ between them. "How ridiculous..." Dmitri said as she dried the last of the dishes. "Izumi must be seeing things; Ed and I don't see each other like that..."

After drying the last dish and putting it in it's (hopefully) proper place, Dmitri glanced up at the clock, frowning irritably when she saw that an entire hour had passed since everyone had gone out to see Ed and Al's improved Alchemy skills. "What the hell is taking them so long?" She asked herself under her breath as she looked around the kitchen for something else to do; she's never actually been to Dublith before, and she didn't feel like wondering around aimlessly looking for the others. Izumi was bound to drag them back to the shop should the boys cause any trouble. "Might as well fix some coffee while I wait..." she said as she started collecting the stuff to make a pot of coffee. It was as she was putting the putting the pot onto the stove top that she heard the front door open making her let out a sigh. "About time you guy's got back." She said as she turned and walked over to table... _might as well fix this now so we don't forget..._ she clapped her hands together and touched the table top with her finger tips, her green alchemic energy stretching and stitching the fibers of the wood back together with great precision. When the light faded all evidence of any damage was gone, leaving the table looking like new. "So, what kind of trouble did you manage to get into-" Dmitri's light hearted jab died in her throat when she turned around to see the grave faces of Ed and Al with a rather furious looking Izumi standing behind them, her arms crossed over her chest as she eyed Dmitri with scrutinizing eyes.

"It would seem Ed and Al aren't the only two with some explaining to do." Izumi said making Dmitri glance between the irate teacher and the two brothers who had yet to look up from their staring contest with the floor. " And nobody is leaving this kitchen until I know the truth."

* * *

After many cups of coffee, and almost three long hours, Ed and Al had finished telling Izumi exactly what had happened in the years they had been away from her. Dmitri had sat at the table beside Izumi, taking in the boy's tale with muted curiosity and mild pity (though she would never, in a million years let Ed and Al know that- Ed would probably have an aneurysm). She had known the basic facts of their story; their mother died, they sought to bring her back using human transmutation, they failed and ended up with their current handicaps, and in order to regain their bodies they joined the military for the seemingly unlimited resources. But she'd never heard them tell their story; everything she knew about them was told her her via Roy, or Ed and when he had talked about his past he had always been very vague. The over whelming heart break and disenchantment that flowed through every syllable the brothers spoke left Dmitri's heart aching and her lungs short on breath; no part of her imagination could have compared to the overwhelming devastation these two brothers had faced time and time again.

Once Ed had finished speaking, Izumi glanced between the two boy's before letting out a pensive sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. "...Down the road... about two blocks..." Ed, Al and Dmitri all looked at Izumi expectantly, jumping in surprise when she slammed her hand into the table top, her dark eyes practically spitting fire. "YOU'LL FIND A COFFIN STORE! GO BUY TWO IN YOUR SIZE'S!" Ed and Al noticeably paled as Izumi cracked her knuckles. Dmitri gulped, a cold sweat breaking out over her forehead... _well, it was nice knowing them..._ Izumi sighed once again, settling back into her chair and crossing her arms over her chest. " All jokes aside... I told you time and time again to stay _away_ from human transmutation." She said making Ed and Al flinch. "So the student makes the same mistake as the teacher..."

"Wait..." Ed said, horrified realization growing in his troubled golden eyes. "Teacher, you too..."

Izumi nodded, holding a hand to her lower abdomen. "Much like your arm and leg... it took some of my insides..." A somber silence took over the room for a moment, before Izumi decided to break it. "...you two really are the biggest fools."

Ed and Al both looked down contritely, a troubled frown marring Ed's face. "We're sorry..." they said together.

Izumi growled irritably before turning towards Dmitri who reeled back from the teacher sudden inquisition. "And you? What's your story? And don't try to deny it; you've seen it too, right? That thing?"

Dmitri frowned deeply, her temper flaring to life; who the hell did this bitch think she was- "Thing?"

"Yeah, that super creepy thing." Ed said, his and Izumi's arm's wiggling in unison as they tried to describe what it was they had seen. Their reenactment only further confused Dmitri though- was it possible that she had seen something different from them?

"Well, I don't really remember seeing anything that moved like that... but there was this guy there." She said, making Izumi and Ed quirk curious brows at her making her twitch. Were they aware that they were pulling the same face together? "At least I think he was a guy... his voice was really weird; it was as if many people were speaking in unison, but they were all speaking through him. And he blended in with the white room he was in... all I can remember seeing of him was his smile..."

"It's ok if you don't remember Demi; I don't remember either." Al said gaining everyone's attention. "I remember us activating the circle, but after that it's all blank until I woke up in this body."

Izumi leaned forward, her eyes boring into Dmitri's. "What happened before you performed the transmutation?"

Dmitri shook her head, a deeply troubled frown coming to her face. "I don't know; my first memories are of Truth, from with in the gate." Wide eyed skepticism greeted her when she revealed what had been taken from her; the memories of the first 8 years of her life were gone, seemingly whipped clean by Truth and his Gate of Wisdom. She sighed; after caving so quickly to Izumi's demands for so called answers, she might as well tell them the whole story. "I'll start from the beginning-"

"Wait," Ed said making everyone look at him expectantly. "You- you're not obligated to tell us... Al and I... we went against our teachers instructions, and blatantly betrayed her by doing the one thing we swore to her we'd never do..." Seeing everyone's eyes on him made Ed's face turn red with embarrassment. "B-but, you're not her student, and-"

"It's ok, Ed." Dmitri said cutting off Ed's caring, abet embarrassed ramblings. "I don't mind telling you guys; if me spilling my guts will help you and Al achieve your goal, I'm ready to bit the bullet. But like I said, I don't actually remember this so called "thing" you guys are talking about..." Dmitri bit her lower lip in thought. "The night of the transmutation is when my memories start; I was 8 years old at the time. I woke up to a man who claimed to be my Uncle Phillip, Alexander and Olivier's father; they called me Dmitria Ann, though I later dropped the "A" and wen't strictly by Dmitri, but that's a different story. Anyways, a few day's later my Aunt..." Dmitri sighed and sat forward, giving each of them a strained look. "Ok, this is all going to sound a little strange... apparently 8 years prior to the night of the transmutation, my mother died in child birth along with the baby. At least, that's what the rest of the family thought. She and the infant were buried beside each other in the family's private cemetery; Claudia Marie Armstrong and Dmitria Ann Armstrong."

"Hold on a second- are you saying that your entire family, even the major, all thought you had died at birth for _8 years?"_ Al said incredulously earning a nod from Dmitri that made everyone take in a shocked breath.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you. I've actually seen my own head stone; it was pretty unsettling really." Dmitri said with a small laugh, though the others looked to be disturbed by the news. "Anyways, my Aunt threw this huge hissy fit about the whole thing, but again that's yet another story- Olivier is the one who took me to see my grave. She told me that it was theorized that my father had lost his mind when my mother died, and spent the next 8 years studying human transmutation in order to bring her back, and had planned from the start to use me as the catalyst; after all, in his mind I had killed his wife." Dmitri tapped herself in the temple. "Olivier and I theorized that I lost my memories of the first 8 years of my life when my father attempted to bring my mother back."

Everyone mulled over what they had just learned for a moment or two before Ed broke the silence. "So, what happened to your father?"

"I assumed he was taken by Truth; I never bothered the ask about him, seeing as I didn't have any memories. The fact that he wasn't around doesn't bother be all that much, seeing as he basically tried to murder me." Dmitri said dismissively making Ed and Al give each other side long glances. She shrugged her shoulders and sat back in her chair, her arms crossed over her chest. "But that's it in a nut shell; I didn't see anything with wiggly body parts when I came out, but I'll _never_ forget Truth." A tense silence filled the air again as Izumi eyed the three teens critically.

"As impressive as it is that you all managed to survive your encounter with _that,"_ Izumi pushed herself up onto her feet, a deep frown etched into her face. "Edward, Alphonse; you're both expelled!" All the color drained from Ed's face in a heart beat, while Dmitri stared at the back of Izumi's head in gaping confusion. "I didn't teach you Alchemy so you could do something so foolish. You are no longer my apprentices."

Alphonse jumped to his feet, his hands clenching open and closed at his side rapidly. "B-but, teach-"

Ed stood and put a hand on Al's chest. "Al." Dmitri, still reeling from her shock, came to Al's other side, grabbing his fidgeting hand in an attempt to calm him down. Izumi glanced between the three teens once again, her dark blue eyes slicing through them once more before she turned on her heel and made a b-line for the kitchen door.

"There's a train scheduled to leave for Central in an hour. _Get on it_."

Ed grit his teeth, his face hidden behind the curtain of his bangs as he bowed slightly at the waist. "Thank you for everything." He said to Izumi just before she vanished through the door way.


	22. That THING

The walk back to the train station was slow and tense. Ed and Al walked in the back, their heads hung low and their brains wracked with guilt and anger at their teachers dismissal. Ahead of them, Sig and Dmitri walked side by side, the large man offering to escort them to the station. Dmitri let out a pensive sigh; she just couldn't wrap her head around it. Sure, what Ed and Al did was really dumb in retrospect, but wasn't it obvious that they were truly repentant for their actions?

"When Izumi was pregnant with our first child, she got very sick." Sig said, breaking the three teens from their troubling thoughts to regard the large man curiously. "She tried hard to carry the baby to term, and nearly died along side him in the process of birth. Shortly after the Doctor informed us that she had been rendered infertile." Sig sighed solemnly, a deep frown etching into his face. "She apologized over and over again, even though she hadn't done anything wrong. It was around that time that she started thinking about Human Transmutation, I think. And now she's like this... I'm a fool, too. For not being able to see the signs..."

Dmitri placed a reassuring hand on his bicep, shaking her head in disagreement. "Her grief, grieved her. But yours devastated her." Sig and the boys looked her way, though she pointedly avoided looking at any of them, her head faced forward and her stride tense. "She didn't want to worry you any more then you already were; didn't want you to see just how broken she was. There is nothing in the universe that compares to the pain of losing a child, and Izumi wanted to spare you that pain as much as she could. A smile can hide _so_ many emotions; fear, sadness, heartbreak... and I'm sure Izumi put so much strength and effort into smiling for you."

Sig hummed in acknowledgment of her words, patting the top of her head affectionately. Al glanced between the two of them before looking down at Ed who looked both troubled and puzzled after hearing their teachers story; why hadn't she ever told them about this? Was it because they had been so young when they had finished their training?... _maybe, if we had known... would we have still tried to bring mom back?..._ The rest of the walk was silent, though at this time it seemed that some of the tension had lifted off the travelers shoulders. When they reached the station, Sig shook Dmitri's hand before ruffling Ed and Al's heads in a big brother kind of way. "Come over if you guys pass this way again." He said, earning a confused look from Ed and an unsure sound from Al.

"But... but we got expelled..." Al said solemnly, with Ed nodding in agreement.

"IDIOTS!" Sig shouted, making a few of the other train goers jump in surprise around them. Dmitri picked at her left ear with her pinky, a disgruntled look on her face as she tried to recover her ear drum from Sigs mighty voice. "Don't you get it? Now that you're expelled, you're no long Izumi's students; that means that you're free to talk to Izumi as her _equals_."

Ed and Al blinked at Sig blankly before Ed let out a frustrated groan, rubbing his forehead aggressively. "Aarghh- SHIT! Damn it Al, what the hell did we come to Dublith for in the first place?!"

"Ah! Right- , we're going back now!" Al shouted just before he and Ed made a mad dash for the train station exit.

Dmitri sighed, her shoulders slumping a little in exhaustion. "Try not to let her kill you!" She shouted after them, with Al answering back with a "we'll try" over his shoulder. Once the two teen boys were out of sight, Dmitri turned to look at Sig who looked just as tired as she felt. "Well... shall we head back as well?"

"Hmm..."

* * *

By the time Dmitri and Sig made it back to the shop, Ed, Al and Izumi had seemingly already "made up" and were sitting around the living room, talking and laughing like nothing had even happened. Sig and Dmitri joined in, listening to the adventures of Ed and Al while they were studying under Izumi. To say that her training sounded grueling would be an understatement, and Dmitri was extremely shocked that Ed and Al had managed to complete their training in less then two years. "- and it was Mason all along!" Ed finished telling Dmitri about their month spent on an Island that lay in the middle of a near by lake, making her laugh at his obvious annoyance over being tricked so easily.

"Man, I wish I could have seen your faces!" Dmitri said earning a scowl from Ed and a chuckle from Al.

"Oh yeah? I'd like to see how you would far on that island, being chased around by a crazy dude in a loin cloth that was trying to kill you!" Ed said defensively making Dmitri roll her eyes.

"No thank you; I had a hard enough time with my own trainers, I don't think I want to add Izumi's crazy training style in there too." Dmitri looked at Izumi who was smiling slightly over the rim of her coffee cup. "No offense."

"None taken; though I am curious. How was the training through the military?" Izumi asked, making all eyes in the room turn onto Dmitri.

Said teen held up her right hand, counting off her trainers and courses one by one. "Well, first I had hand to hand and martial arts training with Maes Hueghs and Jean Havok. After that was weapons and marksmen training with Riza Hawkeye. And then Alchemy training with Roy Mustang; it took me just under two years to pass my courses, and I was enrolled into the military by the time I was 11, though I only did small jobs around town. My first real mission wasn't until I was 12."

Izumi gave her an appraising look. "Oh, so you're like Ed and Al then, a child prodigy. I'm impressed." The house wife glanced up at the wall clock, letting out a slightly surprised sound when she read the time. "Wow, it's already so late; why don't we call it a night, huh? We still have a while to get caught up with each other." The others in the room nodded in agreement, with Dmitri and Al gathering up the now empty cups off the coffee table and following Izumi into the kitchen to help clean up before bed.

"Hey, where is Demi going to sleep Teacher?" Al asked making Dmitri and Izumi look at each other curiously. "Ed and I normally share the spare bed room, but since I don't actually need to sleep, she could take my bed-"

"I guess that could work. BUT!" Izumi said making Al and Dmitir jump in surprise. "I wasn't kidding with what I said earlier; there will be no fornication under my roof that isn't between my husband and myself!"

"Oh my god not again..." Dmitri said as she visibly wilted onto the counter, her head hanging just above the sink that was still full of water and bubbles from washing the dishes. "Just shove my head under until the bubbles disappear..." She sighed, standing up and giving Izumi a rather annoyed look. "You know, I was going to offer to take the couch anyways. Even if Al can't technically sleep, I wouldn't dream of kicking either one of the boy's out of their bed."

"It's alright Demi, I promise; it's like you said, I can't sleep anyway. It would be rude not to let you take the empty bed." Al said making Dmitri shrug her shoulders in defeat; she couldn't really argue with him, as she _had_ already conceded that he wouldn't be using the bed. She would just have to make sure he was comfortable before going to sleep that night.

"Well, that settles that then." Izumi said as she dried her hands on a kitchen towel.

* * *

Later that night, Al sat awake listening to the sounds of his brother and Dmitri sleeping on either side of him. It hadn't taken them long to fall asleep; traveling by train always wore them out. But not Al. Nothing wore him out any more, since he didn't have a physical body, and on most occasions it was actually beneficial. He never got winded during a fight, never felt tired or hungry; he never felt the aches and pains that came from sitting on a bumpy train for hours at a time. But he would be lying if he said he liked it, this feeling of nothingness. Sure, he could still feel emotions, but it was the lack of physical sensation that got to him. He couldn't feel pain, but at the same time he couldn't feel the hug his teacher had given him earlier that day, or the times that Dmitri would rub his head in a big sister kind of way. He couldn't feel the sun on his face, or the wind blowing through his hair; he couldn't even feel the weight of the blanket that Dmitri had insisted be placed around his shoulders, a small attempt to bring him comfort in his long, silent wait for morning. He couldn't smell anything either, having only his vague memories to remind him of such things; coffee was rich, with a slight undertone of bitterness that tickled the back of his throat. Flowers smelled sweet. Things like that were easy to remember; but he couldn't remember what his brother smelled like, and he'd never been able to know what Dmitri smelled like... _though I guess I could ask brother... although that might sound weird now that I think about it..._

But the absolute worst part, out of everything he was missing out on being the way he was, was when the sun would set. Those around him would drift off to sleep, slipping into dreams that would most likely elude them coming morning, leaving Al to sit alone in the dark. It was at this time that his mind would wonder, bringing him to the very depths of despair; memories of his mother would surface, bringing with them a sense of heart warming remorse. The good and bad times he'd been through; everything that had lead up to that very moment in time. The fear that they were chasing a foolish dream. What if there really _wasn't_ any way to restore their bodies? What if he was doomed to live like this for the rest of time? Surely with out a flesh and blood body he could never grow old and die; he would never suffer from illness, or broken bones and torn flesh. He would stay young, and ageless while those around him would slowly die off... the very thought terrified him. And in the dead of night, when all others were sleeping, Al was left alone with these horrible thoughts-

"Hey..." a soft whisper from the bed on his right made Al jump, his armor clanking slightly with the movement. He looked over to see a sleepy looking Dmitri staring at him from her spot in bed, her right hand coming up to rub the sleep from her eye. "You alright? I can practically hear you thinking..." Al stared at her in silent speculation for a moment before letting his head fall down to stare at his hands.

"..."

Dmitri pushed herself up onto her elbow, glancing across the way at the elder brother who was sound asleep, his arms and legs flailed out around him and the blankets wrapped haphazardly around his ankles. Knowing that he was out like a light, she crawled out of bed and onto the floor, sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest as she once again regarded Al with worry. "I don't wanna pry, but you can tell me if something is bothering you Al."

Al sighed, flexing his stiff leather and armor clad hands. "I'm just thinking... about where to go from here..." he said making Dmitri's brow furrow in confusion. "The secret to making a philosophers stone, is human lives. And I know it's not right but... while I'm against it, part of me is almost willing to take that risk." Al looked up at Dmitri, gauging her reaction. She didn't look appalled, but neither did the worry fade from her gaze either, making him hesitate to go on. "I know it's wrong; I don't want to feel this way. But... I'm so tired of not being able to feel anything; I want my body back so bad that it hurts."

Dmitri reached over and took his hand in hers, giving it a small squeeze that he couldn't feel. "I can't say that I know how you feel, Al, but I _promise_ you that we'll get your body back." She said with a reassuring smile. "You'll see- I don't know when or how, but I know in my heart that you, Ed and I will find a way."

Al made a small sound of acceptance from with in his armor, his own large hand squeaazing gently around Dmitri's. "Thanks Demi- I'm sorry that I worried you..." The two sat there in a calm silence for a few moments before Al spoke once again. "Hey, I know that brother and I want to restore our bodies, but what about you?"

Dmitri gave him a questioning look, her right brow quirking curiously. "What about me?"

"Yeah; you said that this 'Truth' thing took your memories from the first eight years of your life away to pay your toll. Don't you want to get them back? Your memories that is..." Al sounded genuinely curious, though hesitant; he knew how secretive Dmitri could be at times. She had never been one to lay her thoughts out on the table, let alone her past. He only hoped that he hadn't offended her with his question-

"Oh, about that- I _kind_ of fibbed a little." She said, earning a surprised sound from Al. "I wasn't lying when I said I don't remember anything from the first eight years, but I can remember most of what Truth said to me before I came back through the gate. "Your payment will be collected at a later time." That's what it told me; so I don't think I've actually paid my toll for what my father did to me." Dmitri wrapped her arms around her knees, a deep frown falling onto her lips. "I'm still in the dark over it, and it kind of scares me; when will it decide that my toll is due?"

"Uh, Demi! Why didn't you say anything before now?! Brother and I-"

"Wouldn't have been able to do anything." Dmitri said pointedly, cutting off any counter argument Al had tried to come up with. "It's not like we can just go to the Gate, and chat with Truth; if it were that easy, you and Ed would have already done it, right?" Dmitri shook her head, her brows knitting together in a small scowl. "No, there's nothing I can do but sit and wait for it to ring my bell. Who knows, some day I might wake up to a missing arm too."

"That's not funny..." Al said sadly earning a shrug from Dmitri.

"But it's Truth, Al. And, to answer your earlier question; I don't think I would want my memories back." Al made a curious sound, his head turning to regard her more closely. "I mean, not even the maids that lived in my parents house knew I existed; my dad had even gone so far as to produce the corpse of another infant to make my supposed death look legitimate. I can't imagin how horrible, and terrifying those first eight years were, so I'm glad that they are gone."

"Wow; I guess I didn't look at it like that..." Al said, his voice trailing off at the end.

Dmitri giggled a bit and pushed on his leg teasingly. "Well then think of it this way; sure, my life's been a bit rough from the get go, but all those hardships made it possible for me to meet you and Ed." Almost as if sensing that he had been mentioned in their hushed conversation, Ed grunted in his sleep before flopping over onto his belly, his left leg falling off the side of the bed and knocking the blanket completely off. Dmitri and Al both chuckled under their breath as Dmitri stood up and retrieved the blanket, tossing haphazardly onto the still sleeping Ed to help block out the cool southern air. "And to be honest, you two are probably one of the greatest things to ever happen to me."

The cheeks on Al's armor turned a light shade of pink. "We're happy to have met you too, Demi."

* * *

Ed groaned as he held the weight bar over his shoulders, falling down into a low squat before forcing himself back up. Behind him stood Dmitri, who was spotting him, and also giving him her version of a pep talk. "Come on Ed, you're only at fifteen and already breaking a sweat!" She said making him growl before falling into another squat. From the other side of the room, Izumi and Al paused in their hand to hand training to look at their companions, with Izumi nodding her approval.

"I like her." Izumi said as Dmitri continued to poke fun at Ed in order to motivate him to work harder. "She reminds me of myself when I was her age!"

Al chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Oh yeah...?"... _that's horrifying... another teacher? I don't think brother and I could survive..._

Ed grunted as he pushed himself to stand on straight legs, glancing over his shoulder at Dmitri with an irritable frown. "Like you can do any better!"

Dmitri rolled her eyes. "I already did two sets of thirty before you finished breakfast!"

"What the- how the hell do you _not_ have muscles like the Major?!" Ed demanded before he fell into another deep squat, squinting his left eye shut as he felt his tired muscles complain about the added weight. Seriously, he was lifting nearly 100lbs and could already feel his body protesting despite his years of physical training. So then how in the _world_ did a girl almost fifty pounds lighter then him, lift the same amount of weight with twice as many reps?!

"Since I don't have access to my research funds, I do a physical evaluation each year for my assessment- whoa!" Dmitri panicked a little as Ed's whole stance went a little ridged as he moved into his final rep. "Hey, you alright? You didn't pull anything did you?" Al and Izumi walked over to them hurriedly as Dmitri removed the weights from Ed's shoulders.

"What's the matter big brother? Did you sprain your back?" Al asked with concern.

Ed fell back onto his ass, and ran his left hand down his face. " _I forgot about this years assessment..._ " He grumbled against his palm, his voice just loud enough for Al and Dmitri to share slightly panicked looks.

"AH! Are you serious?!" Dmitri exclaimed earning a reluctant nod from Ed. "Ohhhh fuck nuggets."

"Assessment?" Izumi asked curiously, turning to Ed for an explanation.

"The annual Assessment for State Alchemists." Ed said before he pushed himself up off the ground, intent on getting his stuff together; he'd have to go to the nearest head quarters as soon as possible.

"If it's not done properly, then his title will be taken away." Al said in an attempt to explain the seriousness of the situation. If Ed lost his license, then he wouldn't receive any more research grants, and that meant that their chances of finding a way to restore their bodies would go up in smoke; they couldn't travel with no money, and while any old job would pay enough to travel, they wouldn't have the freedom granted by the government to check in on what ever leads they may find. Things were suddenly looking bleak for the two brothers.

Their Ex-Teacher however, seemed ecstatic with the news."Oh? Awesome!" Izumi said making the three teens gape at her in open mouthed shock. "Take this chance to quit being the military's dog!" Izumi strolled over to the other side of the room where a telephone sat on a small table. "Here, I'll tell them for you-"

"STOP!" Ed exclaimed just as Izumi picked up the receiver. Izumi shot Ed an irritated scowl, the receiver still clutched in her hand, and what was worse was there was actually someone on the other end of the line. With a small yelp of surprise, Dmitri scuttled over and took the receiver from Izumi, bringing it up to her ear.

" _Hello? Is anyone there?"_

"Uhhhh- sorry, you seem to have the wrong number! HAHAHAHAHA~~" Dmitri said into the receiver before slamming it back onto the telephone holster. She let out a slightly relieved sigh; to think that Izumi had actually called Central!

"Damn it! I gotta got to the headquarters in person too!" Ed exclaimed.

Dmitri pounded her fist into her open palm, a stern frown falling onto her face. "Right! Edward, you go take a quick shower! Al, contact the train station and check on the traveling times to Southern Headquarters; it's only two stations down, so that's our best bet!" Ed and Al saluted her stiffly before breaking off to do their appointed assignment. "And I'll pack our bags- damn it, how could we have been so careless!" Dmitri said earning a quirked brow from Izumi.

"Shouldn't _you_ be worried too? You're also due for assessment, aren't you?" She asked as she started picking up the weights that Ed had been using. Normally she would have yelled at him for leaving his mess, but it was obvious that he was running low on time right now, so she would let it slid this _once_.

"Yeah, but mine is easy- I only have to show them a new gun and BOOM, passing grade. Maybe run a few laps, do some push ups. The assessments are different for everyone, so there is no telling what they are going to make him do this year." Dmitri said before checking the time. "Damn, sorry Izumi, but I _really_ need to get our bags put together."

Izumi sighed, her arms crossing over her chest and an irritable scowl forming on her face. "Given the circumstances, I'll let it slip this once." She then held her fist up in threatening way, making Dmitri's brow bead up in a cold sweat. "But don't think I'll let the two of you get away with being so careless a second time!"

Less then a half hour later, and Dmitri and Ed were nearly ready to leave. Al and Izumi stood off to the side as Ed hurriedly put on his black jacket and Dmitri did a double check on their bags to ensure that she hadn't forgotten anything that they might need for their trip to The Southern Headquarters. "Cloths, money, watches- I think we have everything." She then turned to Izumi as Ed grabbed his suit case and her pack, his red coat draped over his arm. "We shouldn't be gone for more then a day or two; given how close the cut off is, they should be able to get to us right away."

"Just be careful; The Southern Headquarters is pretty sizable, and won't do for you to lose your way." Izumi said as she shook Dmitri's hand in good bye.

"Dmitri, let's go; we only have twenty minutes before our train leaves!" Ed stood at the front door, his fingers twitched impatiently around the strap of her pack, which was settled over his left shoulder. Dmitri nodded, and after giving Al a quick hug around his middle, her and Ed left the house with Ed sounding off a quick good bye over his shoulder. Their trip to the station didn't take nearly as long this time around, as the two were practically sprinting to make it in time.

Their feet hit the platform just as the train that would take them further south blew it's first warning whistle, giving them exactly two minutes to board and buy their tickets. With a somewhat relived sigh, Ed slumped into the two seated bench they would share for the nearly five hour ride to Southern Headquarters. "Phew! With barely a minute to spare- we're getting slow."

Dmitri chuckled as she out their bags into the rack above them before taking her own seat to Ed's left. "Tell me about it; traveling with you has turned me into a lazy, contented loung cat." The two of them laughed a little, setteling in just as the train started to pull away from the station. "Got any idea's for what you are going to do for your assessment?"

Ed rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, a wide grin on his face. "Not a clue; I'll just wing it I guess." To this, Dmitri rolled her eyes; of course he was going to wing it. That was his style, after all.

* * *

Later that evening, Al stood outside the Curtis' Meat shop, sweeping the front walk and picking up trash that had fallen during the busy business hours. They had been unusually packed today, with Al and Mason running every which way with deliveries and pick ups, while Sig and Izumi were kept busy at the counter. It was one of those days that Al was a little relieved to not have a flesh and bone body; despite the long day, he didn't feel the least bit tired, and had offered to clean up the shop to give Sig and his Teacher a break. With only this last task to do, Al was taking his time, simply enjoying the mundane activity.

As he bent over to move the pricing sign that stood at the corner of the shops patio, he heard the sound of something bouncing across the ground behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, he was rather surprised to find a balled up piece of paper in the center of the patio, and area that he had already swept. "Huh? Who's throwing litter around like that?" Al asked himself before walking over and stooping low to retrieve the balled up paper. It looked relatively clean with no signs of wear and tear, or dirt for that mater. Curious as to what could have caused someone to throw away a seemingly fine piece of paper, Al opened the crumpled ball of paper, his hollowed eyes glancing over the page, causing a shocked sound to reverberate through his armor.

In a long forgotten cornor of Dublith, three people sat in a seemingly abandoned building. The air around them was tense as they glanced this way and that, as if looking for something or _someone._ "Do you think he'll come Roa, Dolcetto?" The first to speak was a petite woman with short, boy cut blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. A dark tribal tattoo ran over her right shoulder, up the side of her neck, and over her right cheek, ending just bellow her eye. A black tank top tucked into high waisted khaki pants, a vertical holster with two large knives on each shoulder and black combat boots made up her clothing, giving her a rather intimidating look despite her small stature.

Directly to her left, sitting on what remained of a support pillar to some unknown building, was a beast of a man, Roa, with long pulled back silver hair and flint black eyes. His body was built like a tank, with arms are thick as a tree and hands the could easily wrap around the average humans skull. He wore what looked to be a basic dark blue military uniform, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. "Dunno, Martel" he said, his stern face screwed up into a seemingly permanent scowl. "He might bring his allies along; we might have a fight on our hands." As he spoke, his beefy hands clenched tightly around the handle of what looked to be a massive war hammer.

A snicker from their companion, Dolcetto, a middle aged man with slicked back dark blonde hair and dull blue eyes. He was dressed in something akin to a martial arts uniform, with black under armor and a loos fitting white robe top held together with a black belt and matching white pants that stopped just above him feet which were covered in black, flat bottomed sandals. A katana was strapped to his left hip. "He's here..." The man sniffed the air, his mouth falling into a confident smirk. "What a brave fella." He rolled from his position atop a partially collapsed wall, landing with ease as their long awaited guest came into their immediate area, his armor body glinting brightly in the late afternoon sun. "We're been waiting for you."

Al, who had made the long trek from the front step of his Teachers home, came to a stop before them, the crumpled up piece of litter he had picked up just a short time ago held carefully between his middle and ring finger. "'I know your secret; come to the abandoned factory on the West Side of town.'" Al said, reciting the note that had been crudely written on the papers surface. "I'm guessing it's you people who threw this on Teachers patio?"

Dolcetto nodded his head, his confident smirk still stretched over his face. "That's right; we know quite a lot about you actually."

"Oh?" Al turned looked between the three strangers, his hands clutching into fists, crushing the note that had lead him there. "I'm not really sure what secret's you're talking about though..."

Roa, who had remained sitting up until that point, stepped forward to address Al directly. "In that case, we'll get straight to the point; come with us. Our boss has some questions for you. If you comply, it's possible that we may be able to answer each others questions."

Al made an uncertain sound that reverberated through his armor shell. "But... my Teacher say's that I shouldn't talk to strangers."

The three strangers looked taken aback by Al's rather innocent refusal. "How old _are_ you?" Dolcetto asked curiously, bringing Al's attention to focus onto him.

"Fourteen."

Dolcetto sighed, rubbing his forehead as if suddenly struck with a migraine. "Fourteen? Look buddy, fourteen is plenty old enough to start thinking for yourself! Stop saying "teacher this" and "teacher that" and make your own decisions!"

Al hummed curiously, his finger coming up to rest under his chin as if in deep thought. "So, you're saying I should think things over and make my own decisions?"

"That's right!" Dolcetto flashed Al a wide, cheerful smile. "So just come with us and-" Faster then any of the strangers could have ever fathomed, Al raised his right leg and kicked Dolcetto in the side of the head, effectively knocking him to the ground with very little effort.

"So, I thought it over for myself," Al turned to regard Roa and Martel who looked shell shocked. "And I've decided to use _force_ to get the answers I want."

After taking a moment to size up the young man before him, Roa stepped forward, his massive war hammer clutched securely in his hands. "So, it comes down to a fight after all." Martel reached for the knife on her left shoulder, pulling it free from it's holster.

Once again Al moved at a speed that should have been impossible given his sheer size, charging straight for Martel and Roa. The two fell into a fighting stance, preparing themselves for Al's attack. How ever, they were once again left in shock as instead of attacking, Al ran right past them and further into the ruins around them. "...He ran?" Martel said as she and Roa turned to watch Al vanish around a corner.

"Ooh?"

Martel growled, her hands clutching into tight fists. "What do you mean 'OOH'! After him!" And so the chase began, with Al leading Roa and Martel in a game of tag that seemed to be never ending. Despite the rugged terrain, all parties were adeptly keeping a steady pace, dodging and weaving through the maze of the abandoned buildings. After nearly a half hour of giving chase, Roa and Martel were starting to feel their bodies reaching their limit; flesh and blood could only go so far before needing to rest.

"That Kid; he's just running around with no intent on attacking us." Roa said, earning a curious glance from Martel. "A non-living body with a soul... he doesn't feel physical exhaustion like your everyday human. He's planning to run us around till we're to tired to go on, and then he'll swoop in and finish us off."

"What an impolite brat!" Roa and Martel glanced over their shoulders, surprised and relieved to see their companion Dolcetto running at top speed and coming up from behind. Of the three, he was easily the fastest, easily passing up Roa and Martel in the hall.

"So, you finally woke up!" Roa taunted making Dolcetto grunt irritably.

"SHUT UP!" Dolcetto glanced over at Martel, giving her a barely noticeable nod. "Martel, how much longer are you gonna be running along with that slow Ox? Let's intercept him; we can stall him until Roa catches up!"

"Aight!" Martel shouted, before picking up the pace of her steps and falling behind Dolcetto, leaving Roa to plod along behind them.

Meanwhile, further into the labyrinth of decaying architecture, Al was waiting patiently for his pursuers to catch up with him. "It's pretty impressive really, that they are able to keep up that pace for so long." Al said to himself, his arms crossed over his chest causally. "I wonder who they are exactly..."

Before Al could think any further into the identity of his pursuers, the ceiling above him suddenly exploded, sending a large cloud of debris into the air. From the cloud of dust came Dolcetto, the man Al had kicked unconscious some twenty minutes ago. His blade was drawn, and after performing a high flip, he brought it down along the back of Al's armor, leaving a large scratch across it's surface. Once again Al's body proved useful in battle, as with out so much as a second of hesitation he reacted, spinning on the ball of his left foot and aiming a kick at Dolcetto's head. Expecting such a move, Dolcetto was able to narrowly dodge, jumping back in order to put a bit of distance between himself and the formidable Alphonse. "Damn it- obviously it's useless to use the back of my blade to hit him..." _... I wanna cut him up, but I was ordered not too... but damn, he's not gonna go down easy..._

Dolcetto moved in for a round of close quarters combat, hoping that by attack low and fast he would be able to break through Al's defenses. How ever, Al instantly countered with a palm strike to Dolcetto's face, effectively stopping the man in his tracks. How ever, he failed to notice the Dolcetto's blade had landed a blow, the very tip of it inserted just under his helmet. With a flick of his wrist, Dolcetto managed to flip Al's helmet off, making the younger Elric brother stumble back in shock.

"Ah! I lost my head again!" AL exclaimed, his upper body swiveling around in search for the missing helmet. Before he could locate his missing head, Martel, who had been hiding in the shadows awaiting an opening, jumped onto his shoulders make Al shout out in surprise.

"Excuse my intrusion," Martel said before slithering her way into Al's empty shell of a body. "Ooh, it's unexpectedly comfortable!"

Al instantly started to panic, the thought of another living human being occupying his body making him feel disturbingly ill. "WHAWHAWHAWHA- In-INSIDE?! GET OUT GET OUT!" Al started banging on his own chest, trying to scare Martel out of his armor. "It's disgusting! I can't feel you, but it's _disgusting_!" With fumbling fingers Al started trying to undo the clasps for his breast plate, intent to drag Martel out of him. "I'M KICKING YOU OUT RIGHT NOW!"

Inside, Martel growled in frustration. With a flick of her wrist, her arm's stretched out to impossible lengths, entering Al's arms and possessing them as her own. "That's not gonna happen!" Al gasped in shock as his arm's pulled away from the clasps against his will. "Heh- how does it feel to have your body controlled by another?"

"I-It's not like you can control me completely!" Al shouted as he tried to fight back against Martel's control, his whole body shaking as he tried desperately to regain control of himself.

"Oh, I'm not intending to fight you for control for much longer." Martel chuckled humorously, a triumphant smirk on her face. "All I'm trying to do is slow you down so we can end this!"

"Wha-!?"

Unbeknownst to Al, Roa had caught up with them, and he wasted very little time in apprehending Al. He grabbed the young man by the arm, and using his full weight, slammed Al into the ground earning a startled shout from Al and a pained groan from Martel who was still sitting within Al's hollow body. "Opp's; you alright Martel?" Roa asked, earning an irritated grunt from with in the armor.

"I hit my forehead, but I'll live."

Dolcetto walked over to them, with Al's head hanging by it's pony tail from his left hand. "You're late Roa!" He scolded earning a hum of acknowledgement from his much larger companion. "This brat... I wanna smack the ever loving shit out of you, but I'd just bust up my hand!" Dolcetto tossed Al's head down beside his now immobile body. Al remained silent, his mind working a million miles an hour as he tried to think of a way out of this mess.

"You're called Alphonse Elric, right?" Roa questioned the silent boy. "Come with us." With Martel inside him, and Roa guiding him, Al was all but dragged by the three strangers towards the south west end of town. Hss only solace? At least Dolcetto had been courteous enough to put Al's head back on for him. They took as many back alleys as they could, trying hard to stay out of sight of any towns people. It took just over ten minutes for the group to reach their destination, a small hole in the wall bar called The Devils Nest; Al recognized it from his younger days, when he and Ed would wonder the streets looking for something to do. A run in with some rough bar goers was enough to convince the then young children to avoid the south west cornor of Dublith... _doesn't look like much has changed on this end of town..._ Al thought as Roa guided him into the bar, and directly down a flight of stairs that lead to a dimly lit basement that was comprised of many halls with branching off rooms. No doubt most of them were used for storage, but there were a couple with signs on them that said "Available" or "Occupied". Al didn't wan't to think about what was behind those particular doors...

When it seemed they had finally reached their destination, Al was forced to sit against the back wall of a rather small, dingy room. Steal chains were wrapped around his wrists, and another around his right ankle, with that one being securely attached to one of the many water pipes that line the far left wall. Roa left then, leaving Dolcetto and Martel to watch over their "guest". And it was there that they all sat, in silence; it was almost becoming to much for Al until Martel decided to speak up. "Sorry about this," she said from inside his chest. "It may feel disgusting with me inside, but you gotta cope with it for a little while."

Al let out a defeated sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly. "No, it's okay, I'm already used to it." He shifted a little as if uncomfortable, but soon settled again against the wall. "Just, don't touch that blood seal in there; if you break the circle on accident, I'll cease to exist in this world..."

From inside, Martel glanced up above her head, using the dim light that shined through Al's helmet to gaze upon the old dried blood that bound Al's soul to his armor. "Your body... is pretty interesting."

"You aren't an ordinary human either, right?" Al asked curiously. He heard, rather then felt, Martel shift inside of him.

"Ever hear of something called a chimera?" Martel asked, making a surprised sound reverberate through Al's armor. "Well, my body is merged with a snake."

"Ah- no way! It's not possible for such a thing to survive-"

"How rude! Obviously if it's done wrong, then yes a chimera will die; but I'm an example of a perfect blend." Martel's exclamation quieted Al's protests. "I used to be in the military. I was seriously injured in the battle for the Southern Border. I was half dead when they carried me into the military's research labs to be used in their experiments... and, I got this body."

"Th-that's cruel!" Al said, an overwhelming feeling of disgust rolling through him.

"What is?"

If it had been possible, Al was sure he would be frowning at this point. "That the military did that to you..." Al couldn't bring himself to go into detail, his own dealings with the art of making a chimera horrendously fresh in his mind.

Martel laughed humorlessly, a cynical smile on her face. "It really was in inhumane experiment; first, I was blown in half by a land mine, willing to give my life for the system. And the next thing I know, I was alive and well, but I had the body of a snake."

Dolcetto chuckled as well, pulling out a smoking pike and a pack of matches. "Yeah, they didn't care about how we felt. We were nothing but lab rats to those scientists." He took a long drag off his pipe, letting out a couple rings of smoke. "There were hundreds of failures, that's for sure; but we were the successes, so they kept us alive. And we wanted to survive; who ever lives, wins. It's quite a bizarre life, huh?"

Al looked over at him, his curiosity getting the best of him. "What are you merged with?"

Martel snickered. "Check him out with he pisses. He does it with one leg up."

"I DON'T DO THAT YOU IDIOT!"

Al thought over the hint for a moment. "So... with a dog?"

Dolcetto nodded his head in affirmation of Al's guess. "Yeah, it's a pretty convenient body."

"You're pretty positive about this." Al said, feeling a little put off by their lack of concern for their stolen humanity.

"Heh, maybe a little too positive, right? Even if it's not ideal, this place is still hundreds of times better then that shitty, boring lab." Dolcetto said as the smoke in his pipe started to taper off. "After all, this place has a lot of people like me; people who can't live in the "normal" world."

Before Al could continue to feed his curiosity, the door into his temporary prison burst open. In walked a man that Al had never seen before, with spiked up black hair, dark sunglasses that obscured his smug eyes, and an outfit that comprised of a tight black tank top covered by a sleeveless fur trimmed vest, black leather pants and black boots. His hands were resting casually in his pockets, and a smirk rest upon his lips. Roa, along with about three others that Al didn't recognize, filed in after the dark haired stranger, and stood around him in a way that told Al that this man was their leader. "That him?" The stranger said as he strode over to stand before Al, a curious look falling onto his defined face.

"Yes." Roa answered, his left hand tightening around the handle of his war hammer, which rested on his right shoulder.

The stranger walked over to Al, and with little notice pulled Al's head off much to his annoyance. "Whoa- Ooh cool! He really is empty!" The man said as he glanced into Al's body, giving a small wave to Martel who looked rather irritable given her small living quarters. "Nice you meet ya kid!" He said, replacing Al's helmet and rubbing his head roughly, making Al growl a little. The man bent over at the waist, putting himself at eye level with Al who was still sitting on the floor. "I'm called Greed; let's be friends, okay?" The man, Greed, pointed as his own chest, and when Al saw the back of Greed's left hand, he let out a startled gasp.

"AH...! That's an uroboros tattoo!"

Greed stood up, looking at the back his hand with a slightly confused look flashing across his face. "Hm? You know about this?" Given a side profile of his face, Al could clearly see that Greed's eyes were the same distinct shade of purple as Envy, the young man who had delivered Ed and Dmitri from the collapsing Lab 5.

"I met a stranger with that in central..." Al said, earning a surprised look from Greed.

"Ooh! You've already met those clowns?" He asked curiously before bringing his hand up to his chin. "Which one was it? That hag, Lust? Or was it that dim-wit Sloth?" Greed shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well."

"No offence, buy you all look to young to be all that bad..." Al said, his voice trailing off near the end, uncertain of making to much conversation with someone who seemed to be in cohorts the the "bad" guys.

Greed openly laughed, crouching down to Al's level once again. "I'm _way_ to old to be called young, and while I don't give a rats ass about those idiots in central, that doesn't make me a good person either." He said before giving Al another look over. "Anyhow, you're called Al something, right? So tell me Al," Greed pushed his face to with in an inch of Al's making the young man shift uncomfortably. "How is it? Living with an immortal, empty shell of a body; as nothing but a soul?"

Al bit back a gasp of surprise. "How do you know about me?"

"Gah hah hah! How do we _know_?!" Greed laughed loudly, rocking back onto the heels of his boots. "You fought with a serial killer in East City, right? And part of your armor was destroyed, showing all who were present exactly who, or _what,_ you are. The authority there passed an order to keep it confidential, but they can't stop the gossip. And that gossip went around, and eventually made it's way to me."

"And what do you plan to gain by bringing me here?" Al was starting to feel rather claustrophobic and foolish; he really should have brought someone with him... _man, I bet Teachers about to start a rampage..._

Greed let out a long sigh, a rather excited grin spreading over his face revealing teeth as long and sharp as any predator that Al had ever seen. "To bind and stabilize a person's soul onto an otherwise inanimate object... doesn't that technically grant a person immortality?" Once again Greed was in Al's face, his bared teeth making Al a little nervous. "After all, I'm not called Greed for nothing; I wan't everything this world has to offer! Money and glory, power and women, fame- I wan't it all! And, I also want an immortal body _just like yours_." Greed jabbed a finger at Al. "Do you get it yet? All you have to do is tell us the secret of how you obtained that body of yours, and you're free to go. And please understand, that if you refuse to cooperate with us, we're not above _dissecting_ you to get the information we want."

"How lame," Al said, adding the finishing touches to an alchemic circle he had been drawing while Greed was on his tirade about, well, greed. "You guys are indeed bad people." Activating the circle, Al sent a large stone fist into Greed's gut, knocking his sunglasses off and sending him flying through the air- or at least, Al had expected him too. When Greed barely shifted an inch, Al quickly started working on his second circle. "I just have to get out of these chains and-!"

"And do _what_?" Greed said before grabbing the back of Al's helmet and slamming him face first into the stone floor. Al's whole body shook, his armor clattering in his sudden fright; Greed had moved so quickly it made Al's head spin, and the force used to move him... it was almost to easy to imagine would his head would have looked like if Greed _hadn't held back._ "Alright, chill Okay?" Greed pat the back of Al's head, his eyes widening in realization. "Oooops, sorry Martel, I forgot you were inside there."

Al pushed himself up onto his knees as best he could with is hands still being bound, all the while listening to Greed laugh like a maniac. "GAH HAH HAH! You've got guts kid; I like guys like you who don't hesitate!" Al looked up to see Greed pointing at his own head, that smug smirk back in place. "But you're going to have to try _a lot_ harder if you wanna beat me."

Al gasped in horror as Greed's head seemingly exploded, struck from behind by Roa's war hammer, with the entire upper half turned into mush that splattered across the wall above Al's head. Greed's now lifeless body fell to the ground, allowing blood to gush from what remained of his skull. "W-w-WHA- WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!" Al screamed at Roa, his voice wavering in his horror of the brutal murder he'd just witnessed. "I- I thought you were allies-?!"

Al couldn't believe his eyes; the practically decapitated Greed's body had started to move, getting up to it's feet as strange alchemic energy sparked around his remaining skull and lower jaw. First bone regrew, then muscle and finally soft tissue and hair- Greed's head, which Al had just witnessed being lobbed off, had grown back. Cracking his neck once, Greed's head fell down, allowing him to look at the shell shocked Alphonse. "Well... that's one death." He said before turning to Roa. "Can't you do it more elegantly next time?"

Roa rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ah... sorry about that."

Shrugging his shoulders, Greed turned back to Al while blowing some residual blood from his nose. "Anyways, if you really wanna do any damage you'll have to do something like that."

"T-that's not possible- you can't be immortal!" Al's voice was bathed in disbelief, his thoughts working on over drive to try and make sense what what he had just witnessed.

"You're right Kid; a body like this isn't really immortal." Greed tapped his temple. "You know what a 'homunculus' is, right? It's an artificially created human, though I suppose in the case of myself and those fools in Central, the term 'artificial' can be used loosely." Al gasped in shock as Greed knelt down to Al's level, his fingers lacing together in front of his chest. " That's right; _I'm_ a homunculus, and I can assure you that I am quite tough. In fact, it's been over 200 years since I was 'born'."

"That's not possible!" Al shouted, lurching forward in his out frustrated out burst. "I've _never_ heard of successful cases of homunculus!"

Greed threw his head back in a humorless laugh, his shoulder shaking in his mirth. "GAH HAH HAH! There are places in this world that _never_ see the light of day; people living in the 'normal' world couldn't possibly imagine what goes on here in the underworld. After all, isn't it also impossible for these chimera guys to exists? And yet here they stand before you." Greed's mouth fell into a smug smirk as Al fell back against the wall, seemingly at a loss of what to say to counter Greed's proclamation. "There's no such thing as "No such Thing". Your very existence proves that, no?" The indigo eyed homunculus sat back on the balls of his feet then, his smirk falling into a rather stern frown. "Now... I told you _my_ secret. So it's time for you to tell me _yours_. How is your soul bonded to that armor?"

The room fell into a tense silence, with Greed and the chimeras waiting with baited breath for Al to spill his guts, so to speak. "You should speak up." Martel said after a few tense minutes. "You don't wanna be taken apart and studied like some lab rat, do you?"

Al sighed in defeat, his shoulder slumping and his helmet falling to rest above his chest. "I can't... I don't remember how I got this body. It was another person who bound my soul to this suit of armor." For a moment, Greed simply stared at him with impassive indigo eyes; it was pretty unnerving Al. Did Greed think he was lying? It was only when Greed snapped his fingers and broke out into his nearly prerminant smirk that Al felt a small big of relief.

"Then I guess I'll have to ask _him_ about it, huh?"

"Well... it was my brother but... he's not, here now..." Al said, his voice wavering in uncertainty. What if these bad guys decided to go after Ed? But if all they wanted was to know how to bind a soul... AL glanced up, surprised to find that everyone in the room were giving him wide eyed, nervous looks.

Greed turned towards Roa and Dolcetto, uncertainty lacing his voice. "Did I ask something inconsiderate?" He whispered to them making Al's hearing perk up.

"Well, he's only fourteen after all; it might still be a sensitive topic, ya know?" Dolcetto whispered back making Greed grimace before he turned back to Al, a rather sheepish look on his face.

"Well..." He rubbed the back of his neck uncertainly, his indigo eyes swimming with confusion and oddly enough remorse. "I don't how to say this exactly...ummm..."

Roa bent over, his own face screwed up with empathy. "Cheer up, ok?"

Al made an uncertain noise in the back of his throat... _I- do they think brother is dead?!_


	23. Bodies

Ed sneezed for what felt like the thousandth time in a row as Dmitri finished retrieving their registration forms from the Front Office of The Southern Headquarters. He rubbed his tingling nose irritably, growling when yet another sneeze flew from his mouth. "You're not catching a cold are you?" Dmitri asked as she made her way back to him, handing over his own registration form.

"Truth, I hope not; I can't afford to get sick." He said as the two of them grabbed their respective bags, making their way towards the Technique Assessment Department. They ignored the odd looks sent their way by their fellow soldiers as they attempted to make sense of the new headquarters.

Dmitri grabbed Ed's elbow, leading him down a familiar hall. "I think it's this way- man, it's been so long since I've been down this way." She said as she glanced around, hoping to find some kind of directory. "Hopefully we can find it soon- the lady at the Front Office said that the paper work was going to be a bitch since we're technically past the due date."

Ed's shoulders slumped in exasperation. "Ugh... I _hate_ paper work..." He said earning a nod of agreement from Dmitri. "Are you _sure_ we're going the right way? Everything always looks the same in these places!"

"Hmmm... well, it _has_ been a couple years since I came to The Southern Headquarters..." Dmitri sighed, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. "Maybe we should ask someone for directions..."

"Right," the two of them turned a sharp right, spotting someone just around the cornor. "Excuse me, where's the Technique Assessment Dep-?" The two young alchemists stopped dead in the tracks when they laid eyes on who was standing just around the corner. Major Alexander Louise Armstrong looked down at the two of them in surprise before his face split into a wide, loving smile.

"Alexander?" Dmitri said while Ed stared up at the Major with a crestfallen face... _I was finally rid of him... of all the places... of all the times..._

"My dear sweet, innocent cousin!" Armstrong grabbed Dmitri up into a bone crushing hug, knocking the air out of her lungs and damn near killing her on the spot. "HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU!" Ed sighed in exasperation, while Dmitri hung limply in her cousins embrace, a white flag waving weakly in her right hand.

* * *

To say that Ed and Dmitri were shocked to see the Fuhrer, King Bradly himself, at The Southern Headquarters would be an understatement; what were the odds that he would just happen to be in the same part of the country as them? He too seemed pleasantly surprised to see them, as he laughed merely when Armstrong presented the two young Alchemists to him. "GAH HA HA HA! Well this _is_ a pleasant surprise! It's good to see the two of you looking so well." He said earning a smile from Dmitri and a rather put off pout from Ed.

"I've been assigned to escort The President during his inspection of the Southern Headquarters." Armstrong said, answering Dmitri's unasked question.

"So it was just bad timing on our part..." Ed grumbled, earning an elbow in the side from Dmitri.

"You two came here for the Assessment, correct?" Armstrong asked them, earning a nod from the two teens.

"Yes; we plan to stay for a couple days as they said it'll take a while since we're technically overdue." Dmitri said with a small sigh; she had been enjoying their time with Izumi, Sig and Mason. This was seriously eating into their down time.

Bradly hummed in thought before holding his hand out towards the two of them. "Ah yes, the assessment- lemme see the paperwork." Ed and Dmitri glanced at each other before they both handed over their assessment papers. With a flick of his wrist, Bradly signed and stamped the bottoms of each form before holding them back out to Ed and Dmitri. "There you go, passed!" Ed and Dmitri took their respective forms back, both chuckling uncertainly. "Well, that concludes this years assessment; congratulations you two!"

Ed grunted, an nervous smile spreading over his face. "That's so... irresponsible..."

"Are you sure about this Bradly? I mean, we didn't even _do_ anything..." Dmitri said, earning a small laugh from Bradly and Armstrong.

"I know of the achievements the two of you have acquired, so it's no problem. After all, I expect great things from the two of you." Bradly said stoically, earning nervous laughter from Ed and a firm nod from Dmitri. "So, now that we have all that stiff work out of the way, what brings the two you of to the South? You're not planning on stirring up to much trouble are you?"

"Ah ha ha, not this time!" Dmitri laughed, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

Ed too chuckled at Bradly's light teasing, a small smile on his face. "No, we came down here to pay a short visit to my Alchemy Teacher."

"Ooh hoo? The Teacher of our newest prodigy? I think I remember hearing her name through the grape vine, and from what I hear she's pretty awesome." Bradly rubbed his chin in thought, a delighted gleam coming to his one visible eye.

"Yeah, real awesome..." Ed said, his voice dripping with dejected sarcasm. "Awesomely evil..." Dmitri snickered gently under her breath as she caught what Ed had mumbled under his breath.

"Maybe I should recruit her as a state Alchemist?" Bradly continued, oblivious to Ed's grumblings.

Ed shook his head vigorously, a nervous sweat breaking out over his forehead. "Nah, she's good, but it's not worth the trouble, trust me."

"Yep," Dmitri nodded her head in agreement. "You'd have a better chance of convincing a lion that it's a house cat." Bradly and Armstrong shared a curious glance. "Anyway, if we're finished here, we should probably head back now; we kind of ditched Al." Dmitri and Bradly shook hands before Alexander grabbed both her and Ed up into a crushing hug, making both teens groan in pain.

"MY DEAR SWEAT INNOCENT COUSIN! UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN!"

* * *

Izumi and Sig sat at their kitchen table, their brows furrowed in worry; Alphonse had vanished just before lunch the previous day, and had yet to show his face around the Curtis house hold. "Where could that boy have run off too?" Izumi said, a deep frown falling onto her face. "It's not like him to run off with out telling us where he's going."

"He may have followed Edward and Dmitri to The Southern Headquarters." Sig suggested as Izumi stirred her coffee absentmindedly. "The three of them have been traveling together for some time now; he might have felt that he should be with there for their assessments."

Izumi shook her head, the crease of her brows deepening. "While it's not out of the question, I'm positive that he would have told us that he was going to follow them." Sis hummed in agreement just before the front door opened, revealing a rather frustrated Mason.

"Miss. Izumi, I think I've picked up a lead." He said before walking over to the table, leaning against it heavily. "Around noon, shortly after we noticed Alphonse missing, a couple of towns folk saw him walk into the abandoned factory in the West Side." Mason reached into his pant's pocket, tossing a small match box onto the table. Izumi picked it up, her eyes narrowing in aggravation. "After that, some guys took him to a bar called "Devil's Nest"."

Izumi sighed, her hand clutching into a fist around the match box before she stood from the table. "Devil's Nest, huh? Guess I'm going to have to go say high to Al's new friends."

* * *

"Stare deeply into the flame..." Al bit off a rather crass comment as one of the chimera's held a lighter up to his eye level. For the last few hour's, they had been trying to come up with ways to retrieve Al's memories of the day he had woken up in his armor. Right now they were trying hypnosis, but Al was very skeptical that such a thing could work on him, given his lack of an actual brain. "Go back to that day... the day your soul was bound..."

Al sighed, sitting back and shaking his head. "Sorry, but I don't think it's working..."

Greed and the other chimeras let out dejected sighs; this was truly becoming tiresome. "Not even hypnosis will work? What a drag..." Greed wracked his brain for a solution that wouldn't involve taking Al apart... _if the person that did this is dead, then he's the only one that could possibly know how to bond a soul... the trick is jogging his memory with out accidentally breaking the bond between his soul and that suit of armor..._

 _"_ This is so troublesome!" One of Greed's men ground out, a burly looking man with blonde hair, brown eyes and a goatee. "Let's just take him apart already; I know a little about Alchemy. I bet after a few tries I could wing it."

Al hummed to himself. "If you're gonna take me apart, can I at least request that someone at State Alchemist Level do it? It's not a pleasant thought, thinking about an amateur poking around my seal."

The goatee'd man growled while Greed chuckled humorously. "Ooh hoo~~~ well said, well said!"

"Hmph! This brats got some guts..." The goatee'd man said, his left brow ticking furiously. "I admire that in a person- _but_!" He reached out, grabbing the front of Al's helmet, the veins in his forehead and arm bulging as his temper soared ever higher. "It pisses me off, that attitude of fearlessness! I'll _seriously_ break you apart-!?"

Greed reached out and placed a restraining hand on the man's shoulder, pulling him away from the disturbed Alphonse. "Calm down; if we take him apart and break the seal, we'll never get the answers we're looking for." The goatee'd man shot Al one last growl before turning away from him and storming to the other side of the room. As he passed Dolcetto, who was leaning casually against the far left wall, the dog chimera perked up, his head turning this way and that as he picked up the sound of a scuffle on the main level above their heads.

"There is _one_ thing I'm scared of..." Al said, bringing everyone's attention back to him.

"What's that?" Martel asked from her ever vigilant post inside his chest piece. Before Al could answer, a familiar green alchemic energy engulfed the far left wall, and in it's wake appeared a large stone double door. The chimera's all backed away wearily, their eyes wide in shock. The doors swung open revealing Izumi, her face scrunched up in a scowl and an unconscious man being dragged along the ground behind her.

"Hi." Izumi greeted callously. "Please excuse me." With out sparing a single person in the room a glance, Izumi stormed into the room making a direct B-line for Al who's armor was shaking in terror.

"He-hey!" One of the chimeras shouted, their shock finally starting to wane into furry. "Who're you-?!"

With one arm, Izumi threw the man she was dragging directly at Al, hitting him square int he face and once again leaving the chimeras in the room shell shocked. " **YOU IDIOT! WHY THE HELL DID YOU GET KIDNAPPED!?"**

"WAAAAAAAAHHHHH! SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYY!" Alphonse said, animated tears running down his metal cheeks.

"H-HEY! Who the hell are ?!" Goatee man shouted, making Izumi turn on them with a dangerous look on her face.

" ** _I'M A HOUSEWIFE!_** "

In a flurry of movement, the chimera's attacked, and one by one Izumi took them down. Even Roa, who was easily two times her size didn't stand a chance. Al watched all of this with a mixed sense of wonder and terror; his teacher really was a woman to be reckoned with.

Greed frowned a bit as his men were so easily defeated, but he had to admit one thing to himself; this "housewife" could really kick some ass. He would have to be on guard around her. "Hey now Missy, barging in here and attacking my men out of nowhere isn't very nice."

Izumi tossed Roa to the side before standing to face Greed, the scowl still present on her face. "So, you're the ring leader to this freak show; I trust you've been taking good care of my stupid student." She said making Al sulk and whimper. "Sorry, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut your little play date short; I'm taking him back home."

"Nah," Greed shrugged his shoulders, his hands falling to sit causally in his pants pockets. "I can't let you do that. We're not done here-!" Izumi punched Greed in the left side of his head with every ounce of her strength, catching him off guard and making Al shout in surprise.

He wasn't surprised that Izumi had punched someone out of nowhere; come on, this was Izumi. She dropped kicked Ed on sight. No, it was the fact that Greed didn't flinch, didn't even take a step back and instead took Izumi's punch like a brick wall. "Huh... you really are full of surprises aren't you? You should be more careful, I'm sure you broke a few fingers just now." Greed moved to throw his own punch, feinting his jab just enough to miss Izumi but still force her to take a step back. "Can we talk like civilized people now? I don't care much for beating up on women, no matter how strong they are." Al gasped in shock when he took a close look at the left side of Greed's face; his skin, which had been flawless and pale in color before, had turned black as coal from just bellow his cheek bone, down his neck and into his black tank top.

"That's quite a unique body you have." Izumi said, her eyes narrowing in scrutiny.

"Heh, it'll take more then that weak ass attack to put a scratch on me, if that's what you mean." Greed said as he pulled the collar of his fur trimmed vest down to show off more of his oddly colored skin. Before Al and Izumi's eyes, the black retreated, leaving Greed's natural porcelain skin in it's wake.

A thought suddenly struck Al, giving him an idea about how they could get out of this situation with out his Teacher having to fight. "Teacher, did Big Brother come with you?!"

"Hm?" Izumi glanced Al's way while flexing her bleeding hand. "He's not back yet..."

Greed blinked curiously before shoot Al a deadpanned look. "Eh? I thought your Bro was dead...?"

"Ah, I never actually said that!" Al defended making Greed grimace in annoyance. "Anyway, Teacher, this person is a homunculus!"

"Hey, don't go spilling my secret to everyone." Greed complained. "That's not cool, Kid."

Al ignored him completely much to Greed's chagrin. "He has information that could give brother and I our original bodies back! I really need to tell Ed!" Izumi's eyes were the size of dinner plates as she processed all that Al had said. She then turned to Greed and pointed at him with her still bleeding hand.

"A homunculus you say?" She asked earning a bored look from Greed. "And all I gotta do is beat him until he tell's you what you want to know, right?"

"W-well..." Al stumbled over his words as he watched the blood fall freely from his Teachers hand. "Normally I would say yes, but your injury look's really serious! So nope, nope- Fighting him isn't necessary!"

Greed groaned, getting tired of all the senseless chit chat. "Look, how about we make a deal? You Alchemists are all about Equivalent Exchange, right?" Greed leaned onto Al, his arm wrapping around the back of Al's head. "I'll teach these guys how to make homunculus, if this guy's brother will teach me how to transmute a soul."

"You expect me to listen to the kidnapper?!" Izumi growled out, taking a step forward and balling her fists at her side. "Don't mess with me-"

"Teacher! Please, bring Big Brother here!" Al cut in, catching Izumi off guard. Unlike Ed, Alphonse had always been soft spoken. He never talked back, and he _never_ interrupted her. "I _beg_ you... this might be only way..."

Izumi regarded her ex-student carefully. With a resigned grunt, she turned back to Greed who once again looked rather board with what was going on around him... _damn, he really pisses me off..._ "You're called Greed, right? Whether you choose to believe me or not, I'm not really a woman who likes violence." She turned away from the two of them then, making her way for the door she had created before. "But let me make one thing very clear; if I hear that you have harmed a single molecule of my _family_ ," Izumi glanced over her shoulder, her eyes burning with a hell fire that sent a small shiver down the Homunculus' spine. " _I won't hesitate to obliterate everything, and everybody here._"

When he was sure Izumi was far enough away, Greed let out a low whistle, patting Al on the shoulder. "Your Teacher is _amazing._ "

"Uhhh... thanks?"

* * *

Ed practically peeled himself off the bench as the train pulled into Dublith station. Due to Bradly giving himself and Dmitri a passing grade, they had managed to make their three day trip take only 21hrs. They would be back in time for dinner. "Whew, I forgot how hot it can get down here." Ed said as he and Dmitri exited the train together.

"Tell me about it; as much as I've enjoyed our time here, I can't wait to go back to Central." Dmitri rubbed the back of her thighs, letting out a small whimper when they started to sting. "I think I just removed a whole layer of skin thanks to that seat! I'll have to rethink my clothing choice if we're staying for much longer."

Ed pulled uncomfortably at the collar of his black, long sleeved jacket. "Yeah, me too. Let's hurry back to the shop-?"

"Ooh Hoo! Dublith sure is beautiful!" Ed and Dmitri stared in dumbfounded shock as none other then Fuhrer King Bradly came sauntering off the train some two car's ahead of them, dressed in a casual floral patterned shirt, brown khakis and a straw hat and sandals. Behind him was Alexander, who was carrying two suit cases and sticking out like a sore thumb in his standard military uniform.

"Wha-?" Dmitri tried to say something, but she was coming up empty handed.

"WHY?! HOW-"

"What do you mean, "why"? I'm here to meet your Teacher of course!" Bradly, seemingly out of thin air, held out a watermelon to Ed, who took it with an exasperated sigh. "This is a souvenir! Does she like watermelon?"

"Oh... thanks." Ed stared at the melon for a second before turning to glare at Armstrong. "Wait a second- you two took the same train as us?!" Dmitri sighed, patting Ed's shoulder reassuringly.

"Let it go Ed... just let it go." Ed groaned in defeat; of all the rotten luck... _how could today get any worse..._

* * *

Ed gaped in open mouthed horror. "W-what the hell?! We weren't even gone for a full day!" He shouted. "How on _earth_ did Al get into so much trouble in less then 24 hours?!"

Izumi grunted in frustration, her brows knitted together tightly. "It's quite complicated."

"What're they after?" Dmitri asked, her blood boiling; who ever thought it was a good idea to kidnap Al must have a serious death wish. She was honestly shocked that Izumi hadn't already handled the problem, but the bandage that was wrapped around her right hand told Dmitri that she had tried... and failed. "Ransom?"

"No," Izumi said, shaking her head. "They're asking for details regarding Soul Transmutation. They've requested an audience with you, Ed."

Ed rubbed the back of his neck irritably. "Who in their right mind would wanna know about such a thing..."

"Obviously their _not_ in their right mind, if they thought they could get away with kidnapping a six foot tall suit or armor in the broad daylight." Dmitri said making Ed's frown deepen. "Izumi, judging by the fact that you haven't already burned that place to the ground, I'm guessing there's more to this; what exactly are we dealing with here?"

"He goes by the name Greed, and he has an uroborus tattoo on the back of his left hand." Izumi lifted her left hand, pointing to the exact location of Greed's tattoo. "It may sound absurd, but he's claimed to be a homunculus."

Ed and Dmitri's eyes widened in shock. "What kind of joke is that?"

"I don't think he was lying, Edward." Izumi gave them both a very pointed look, making a nervous sweat break out over their foreheads. "I don't know if he was telling the whole truth, but he was clearly _not_ an ordinary human."

Ed's brow furrowed as he took int he bandages on his teachers hand for the first time. "Teacher... did you get hurt by that guy?"

Izumi glanced between herself and her ex-student's troubled face. "Oh, this?" She waved the injured hand back and forth, showing no signs of pain despite the heavy wrapping. "It's no big deal. He was just unexpectedly strong, and I let my guard down."

Ed let out a pensive sigh. "I'm going to take care of this."

"Eh?"

"ALONE?!"

Izumi and Dmitri both gave Ed disapproving looks, making him gulp a little in fear; two of the strongest women he knew, angry over the same thing? May Truth spare him... "T-this is between Al, the Greed freak and myself so... let me go alone."

"YOU MORON! I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU GO TO SUCH A DANGEROUS PLACE ALONE!" Izumi shouted, the vein on her forehead throbbing furiously.

"IDIOT! HE MANAGED TO INJURE YOUR TEACHER, LIKE HELL I'M GOING TO LET YOU FIGHT HIM ON YOUR OWN!"

Ed shrank before the two scarily strong women, his hands held up either to surrender or to defend himself, he couldn't decide which. "I-It's okay! Who said anything about fighting! They just wan't the information we have, right?!" Both Dmitri and Izumi calmed down a bit, though neither one looked ready to back down from their argument. "It's not like I'm gonna get killed, right? I'll go there, tell them what they want to know, and have Al back before dinner! No problem!"

Izumi let out a very long sigh, rubbing the back of her neck irritably. "Alright, fine; do what ever you want." She turned away from him then, making her way towards the kitchen. "But you better be home before dinner time."

Ed smiled a little. "No problem!"

"Yes problem!" Dmitri said as Izumi left the room. "Seriously Ed? This whole situation stinks to high heaven; this guy may very well not even be human, and he's strong enough to have injured _Izumi_." Dmitri crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly. "Not to mention, if what Izumi said was true, then he's obviously part of that uroborus gang we met back in the Fifth Lab-"

"Hey," Ed placed his hands on Dmitri's shoulders, cutting off her ever accelerating rant. "Will you _stop_ worrying so much? I'm sure Teacher got hurt because she likes to hit first, and ask questions later. AND, the fact that he let her go with out any fuss means that he's telling the truth-" Dmitri opened her mouth to protest, but Ed cut her off. "-at least give me an hour, alright? Remember Lab Five?" She gave him a deadpanned look, making him chuckle nervously. "Okay, so that's a pretty bad example-"

"Alright." Dmitri said, making Ed blink down at her owlishly. "I'll give you an hour. If you haven't come home by then, I'm coming over guns blazing." Ed ruffled her hair a little, a smug smirk on his face.

"Alright," Ed gave her the briefest of hugs, much to her surprise, before heading for the door. "We'll be home within the hour!" The door closed behind after him with a soft click, leaving Dmitri standing alone in the back room, her arm's still crossed over her chest and a small frown adorning her lips.

"Dmitri." She glanced over her shoulder to see Alexander and Bradly standing in the doorway that lead to the store front. It was Armstrong who had spoken to her, his voice firm yet laced with worry.

Dmitri sighed, turning to follow in Izumi's foot steps, intent on helping with dinner prep. "I'll give him the time promised and not a second more."

Bradly hummed low in his throat, a stern look on his face as he watched Dmtiri's retreating back until she vanished further into the home. Armstrong turned to him then, a curious look in his eye. "Sir?"

Bradly tugged at the brim of his straw hat, a sharp edge coming to his eyes as he seemed to come to an internal understanding. "I'm unsure of what to make of what little I was able to hear, but it is obvious that one of our own has been compromised." Bradly turned to Armstrong, determination radiating off of him. "Major Armstrong, assemble a small platoon; we are going in as back up."

Armstrong snapped to attention and raised his right hand in solute, his kind blue eyes turning stony in his determination. "Sir!"

* * *

The moment Ed exited the shop, the aura of ease and nonchalance he had held up for the sake of his Teacher and Partner had evaporated. He was _furious_ \- no, furious didn't even begin to cover the level of insanity inducing rage that filled him. Some _creature_ , who associates with that _Envy_ bastard, _dared_ to attack his Teacher- _dared to kidnap his little brother._ Yeah, he was going there to trade information all right. For every question this Greed bastard refused to answer, Ed would break a bone. For every question Greed had, Ed would rupture an organ.

The murderous aura that had fallen over Ed was so thick and ominous, that the crowds of people that took up the streets of Dublith parted for him like a continuous wave; nobody wanted to get in his way. Nobody wanted to make eye contact for fear of becoming his unintentional target.

When Ed arrived at Devil's Nest, it was obvious that they were waiting for him; with out so much as a word he was lead down a dimly lit flight of stairs and into one of the many doors the lined the basements hall. When he entered the room, the first thing he noticed was Al, who was sitting on the floor, his hands held together with thick chains and another chain wrapped around him right ankle, attaching him to the far left wall.

And then, Ed saw the left hand of a man who stood just to Al's right, and the glaringly obvious tattoo that adorned it. He's hands clenched into tight fists inside his pant pockets, and the scowl on his face deepened minutely. "Greed..."

Greed's smirk widened, a delighted gleam coming to his sharp indigo eyes. "Edward Elric I presume? Sorry about all of this; we had really hoped to have been finished by now, but your brother here didn't have the information we needed."

Ed glanced down at Al again, who had shifted a little in his spot on the floor. "I'm sorry Brother... but this man is-"

"Teacher already told me." Ed said, his head tilting to the side as he took in more of the mans appearance. He looked human enough, and the tattoo and his eye color matched up with Envy and that busty broad from the Lab. But what was he doing way the hell out in Dublith? "A homunculus, eh? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't caught off guard by the news; but why should I believe anything that comes out of your mouth?"

Greed shot Ed a sly grin. "It's a policy of mine to never lie, though if you're in need of convincing..." Ed tensed up the largest men in the room, Roa, stepped forward with his massive war hammer raised over his right shoulder, his eyes locked on the back of Greed's head. "No- wait." Greed said quickly making Roa quirk a bushy brow at him. "Never mind- I don't feel much like dealing with the mess."

"Ed, he wants to know how to perform Soul Binding-if we tell him, then he's promised to teach us about homunculus." Al said, making Ed glance between his tied up little brother and Greed.

"Is that so..."

"Heh, yeah- Your little brother here told me that the two of you are trying to restore your original bodies." Greed took a couple steps forward, his ever present smirk widening. "So how about it? You tell me how you did this," he jabbed in Al's direction with his thumb. "And I'll tell you how to make an artificial human."

Ed chuckled lowly, his shoulders shaking as his chuckling escalated to full out laughter. Greed's followers shared concerned glances while Al made an unsure sound in the back of his throat. "Uh... brother?"

Ed's laughter stopped on a dime, his head snapping up to reveal burning eyes and a strained glower. "You bastards- YOU DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION HERE! You and your Uroborus gang have done _nothing_ but cause us problems- you tormented my partner, kidnapped my brother and injured my Teacher!" For every verbal jab Ed took at the homunculus, Ed took half a step forward, his hands balling into tight fists. "And you _still_ have the guts to DEMAND AN EQUAL TRADE?! Fuck that- here's what's going to happen, you freaks, _I'm_ going to get what ever fucking answers I wan't from _you_ and you are going to get beat into the ground!"

Everyone in the room stood in awed silence as Ed panted heavily after his explosion. Greed raised his hands, clapping them together at a slow pace, his face slack. "Wow..." He said, before motioning towards Dolcetto. "I really wanted to end this peacefully..." Dolcetto stepped forward, his left hand resting against the hilt of his blade. "Don't kill him."

"Yeah..." Dolcetto fell into a low fighting stance, his brows knitting together in concentration. "But don't blame me if I break a few of his bones!" With swift, nearly untraceable movements, Dolcetto sprang forward, drawing his sword and taking a swipe at Ed. His eyes widened in shock when Ed easily jumped up and over the swing, aiming a kick at Dolcetto's head with his left leg.

"To slow." Ed's foot collided with Dolcetto's chin, knocking him some ten feet away, head first into a wall. Dolcetto lay very still, knocked unconscious from the impact of Ed's prosthetic leg. Ed didn't even look to see what damage he had caused, and instead removed his white gloves before transmuting the platting of his automail arm into a sharp sword. "Next!"

Greed's smirk vanished, his mouth twisting down into the smallest of frowns as he glanced between Ed and his unconscious lackey. "Roa. Take the armor boy out of here- we'll dissect and analyze him."

"Yes sir." Roa stepped up to Al and with one arm lifted the large suit of armor onto his left shoulder. Martel complained from inside the hollow shell as Roa turned towards the wall Al had just been sitting against. "Hold on tight Martel."

"WAIT!" Ed dashed over as fast as his legs could carry him, his right arm raised blade facing out to attack Greed and Roa in one go. "Like hell I'm gonna let you take him!" Ed struck out, gasping in both shock and mild pain as his entire right arm and shoulder port were jerked stopped mid strike, the tip of his blade nearly breaking off as it hit Greed's left hand. The skin on Greed's hand and wrist had changed, looking more like charcoal the skin, and his fingers had become sharp and talon like making Ed's eyes widen in shock.

"Didn't your teacher warn you, kid?" Greed said, a sinister smile spreading over his face as he raised his right fist, which had also turned black, and aimed it for Ed's skull. Ed was able to narrowly dodge, gritting his teeth when one of Greed's clawed fingers grazed his cheek, drawing a trail of blood that dripped onto the floor. Recovering quickly, Ed moved to increase the distance between them, using his alchemy to create a stone pillar between the two of them. He couldn't of had better timing, as Greed had followed up with a second attack, his black clawed hand leaving nearly three inch deep gouges in the stone pillar, a mere inch from where Ed's head had just been.

Taking advantage of the small distraction, Ed clapped his hands together once again, forcing the stone floor to raise beneath him, giving him access to an aerial attack with his sword arm. Greed's eyes widened in mild surprise before he easily blocked Ed's attack by crossing his two blackened wrists above his head. "HAH! It's futile! That little had sword is kind of neat, but it can't even _scratch_ my ultimate shield!" Greed boasted as Ed transmuted the floor again, causing a wave of spiked stone to go roaring towards Greed who easily cut them down.

The homunculus was caught off guard, how ever, when a spray of debris and bits of stone were chucked into his face. Ed used this small opening to jump up and wrap his legs around Greed's neck, and using every bit of force he could muster up, slammed Greed's head into the floor skull first. Blood and bone exploded from the back of Greed's skull, causing Ed to grin in victory. "Guard your head next time-?!"

Ed jumped back, his eyes wide in shock as Greed took a swipe at him, nicking him in the right side. Greed groan and wobbly pushed himself back up to his feet. "Ouch- that hurt! You know that move would have hospitalized most people."

Ed grit his teeth, pushing the pain in his side to the back of his mind. "But you're not _like_ most people."

Greed cracked his neck as red alchemic energy sparked along the back of his head, healing up the damage that Ed had managed to cause him. "My body is- all that set's me apart are my ultimate sheild and my regeneration abilities. They're nothing special," Greed turned back to Ed, his smug smirk back in place as he spied the thin trail of blood that trickled between Ed's fingers as he tried to stem off the bleeding on his side. "But you're never gonna beat me, so I suggest rethinking the situation and taking the _deal_." Ed's answered him with silence, his jaw set tight and his eyes blazing with furry. Looking him over Greed grunted in annoyance. "Oh, you're one of _those_ guys- you don't care if somebody beats the crap out of _you_ , but if someone lays a _finger_ on a loved one you completely freak out. What a waste." Greed pointed an incriminating finger at Ed. "If you don't reign in that temper of your's you'll lose my information, _and_ your brother."

"My brother's _fine_ , he's just waiting for me to kick your ass." Ed said, falling into a deeper fighting stance. "You've already told us you're not immortal, and your ultimate shield doesn't cover much!"

Greed threw his head back and let out a guttural laugh, his whole body shaking with his mirth. "Sorry to bust your bubble, _kid_ , but I've been holding back!" He said excitedly as he shrugged off his vest and tossed it to the side. The black that covered his hands and wrists started spread, covering his arms, shoulder, neck and head. "This obscures my handsome face, so I try not to wear it that much." Ed's eyes grew impossibly wide as Greed's human face dissolved into that of a monster, with large tusked teeth, and red soulless eyes. If one were to ever describe to him the devil, Ed imagined he would picture something like this. "I wasn't kidding kid," Greed said, his voice much lower and rough in this form. "Try all you like, but you're _not_ gonna beat me."

* * *

Dmitri tossed her braided hair over her shoulder before grabbing her black jacket, pushing in onto her arms as she made her way out of the boys' bedroom and down the short hall. "You know it's only been forty five minutes." Izumi said from the kitchen table as Dmitri made her way towards the back room.

"It'll take me fifteen to get there." Was Dmitri's answer. Izumi frowned at her, clearly unhappy with the situation.

"Do you have such little faith in them?"

Dmitri paused at the door, her fingertips barely resting on the handle. She looked at Izumi out of the corner of her eye, a frown tugging at the corner of her lips. "...the tattoo you say you saw..." Dmitri said making Izumi quirk a curious brow at her. Dmitri sighed irritably, pulling her black half mask up to just bellow her eyes. " _That's_ why I'm going." With out another word Dmitri pulled the door open and exited the house, leaving a rather confused and frustrated Izumi sitting at the kitchen table.

"THAT DIDN'T ANSWER ANYTHING YOU BRAT!" She shouted, slamming her fist into the top of the table... _when that girl gets home I'm going to run her straight into the ground!_

By the time Dmitri had made it to Devil's Nest, she wasn't in the least bit surprised to find Armstrong and Bradly standing before it with small army of about fifty men, all ready to infiltrate the building. "Glad you could join us Lead."

"Lead, the men have been given explicit instructions to clear the building." Armstrong said earning a nod from Dmitri who merely nodded, flipping her hood up over her head. "Your part in the mission is to make your way to the Elric's and provide back up; leave the rest to me and my men." Armstrong smashed his two fists together, his metal hand guards sparking on impact.

"Move out!" Bradly barked.

* * *

Dmitri moved as fast as she could through the many halls that made up the basement bellow Devil's Nest. She came upon many adversaries, and each one received a bullet to a limb. Upon impact, the bullets would chemically shift, turning into a thick, gooey liquid that would effectively immobilize them and allow her to pass by unharmed. She could hear the sound of gun fire above her, but she ignored it; Armstrong and Bradly could handle the situation up there.

After traversing another three hallways, Dmitri was starting to get a little desperate; where the hell were they keeping them?! Stopping the middle of a hall, Dmitri cursed under her breath. How big was this basement-? The sound of crashing metal and shattering stone met her ears... _it's feint..._ she took off at a dead run towards the source of the sounds... _just a little farther... HERE!_ Clapping her hands together Dmitri slammed them into the wall that separated her from the sounds of battle that had lead her there. The wall exploded into the room, sending large pieces of stone and mortar flying through the air.

With out wasting a second Dmitri rushed into the cloud of dust, gun poised to shoot. On her third step she was forced into a back bend as a large, black clawed hand came swiping through the debris, missing her by only a millimeter or two. Before she had a chance to retaliate her attackers other hand came out of nowhere, clawing at the side of her jacket which she quickly rolled out of in order to prevent getting hit. As her attacker tossed away her no ruined jacket, Dmitri jumped into the air, taking aim with her hand gun in the general area where her attacker should be and firing four rounds into the dust. She heard them hit and ricochet off of something that sounded much harder then stone, making her brow furrow in confusion. "What the hell..." The moment she landed Dmitri was tackled from the side, the unexpected motion sending her and who ever had tackled her rolling across the floor and away from each other.

"Still alive?" Dmitri heard the voice from her right, it's gravely tone sending an unpleasant shiver down her spine. Rolling onto the balls of her feet, she cursed internally; she had dropped her hand gun when she was tackled. She could hear the sound of the scuffling of feet some three feet to her left, but the air was so full of dust still that she couldn't see more then a few inches from her own face. "There you go! You're chalk full of piss and vinegar!" The sound of running, followed by the unmistakable groan of bending metal and scattering parts echoed through the room. A dark shadow soared through the air, smashing into what must have been a pallet of crates a mere foot and a half away from where Dmitri was crouched. "I appreciate the effort, but you just can't win!" The momentum of the thrown person's body was enough to push some of the dust away, allowing Dmitri to spy the glint of Ed's automail arm, _and_ the shadow that loomed over him. Just as the dark shadow reached towards Ed, who seemed to be unconscious from his collision with the crates, Dmitri sprang forward, kicking off the wall just above Ed and sending a powerful kick into their attackers chest, effectively making them skid across the floor putting some twenty feet between them and the two teens. Once again, momentum seemed to be in Dmitri's favor, as the dust in the room parted like a curtain around the sliding attackers shoulders.

Landing on her feet a mere six inches from Ed's practically demolished automail arm, Dmitri took in the full glory of their foe for the first time. "Well Izumi wasn't lying... you really are a freak, aren't you." The man, or creature- what ever the hell it was that stood before her, took half a step back, his shoulders tensing ever so slightly. "I take it that you're Greed. You have a lot of nerve going after my partner's like this."

Greed chuckled darkly, his shoulders relaxing as he stood to his full height, towering over Dmitri even from the other side of the room. "Heh, and here I thought his teacher had come back to join the fray; turns out it's just another puck ass kid." Flexing his clawed hands, Greed took a few steps forward. "You know, just now, I thought I recognized you." It was Dmitri's turn to stiffen up, her eyes narrowing a fraction of an inch... _I had hoped that wouldn't be the case..._ "Though it _would_ be easier to tell if you took off that mask of yours!" Greed shot forward then, his claws extended to tear the mask and what ever flesh he could off her face.

Dmitri dodged at the very last second, his sharp fingers cutting through the very end of her braid, but his close proximity gave her a perfect opportunity to aim a palm strike to the side of his head, once against pushing him a safe distance away. His recovery was swift, and before to long Dmitri was on the defensive, dodging and blocking attacks that seemed to have one goal in mind; removing her face mask. "Do you know how rude it is to try and rip a girls mask off?!" She scolded him, earning a dark laugh from the homunculus.

"Do I look like the kind of guy who gives a shit?!" He shouted, his right arm extending out, coming with in mere millimeters of the edge of her mask. "Now shut up," Dmitri's eyes widened considerably as her foot landed on a loose piece of rubble, causing it to slid out from underneath of her, leaving her unbalanced and quickly falling backwards. Greed grabbed her around the throat, using the momentum from her falling to his advantage in order to thrust her down onto the stone floor with enough force to knock the wind out of her lungs. "And show me your pretty face-?!" Dmitri clapped her hands together before slamming them against the bicep of the arm that was holding her in place. Green alchemic energy sparked around her hands before his arm imploded on it's self, sending him reeling back and freeing her from his hold simultaneously. Greed shouted in shock as he landed on the his back some five feet away, his severed arm gushing blood for a few seconds before beginning it's regenerative process. "What the fuck..."

"Dmitri!" Ed had managed to regain consciousness in time to see his partner blow Greed's right arm off at the shoulder, the move spattering blood, bone and chunks of Greed's Ultimate Shield all over her and the floor. Ed rushed over, bending down to help Dmitri onto her knees while she coughed and gasped for air in the after math of Greed's attack. "What the hell were you thinking?! You could have blown your own face off!" Ed scolded her as she reached up and removed what very little was left of her mask; the heat and force generated from the deconstruction of Greed's arm had been close and hot enough to burn away much of the fabric and leave small burns on her arms, neck and shoulders.

"T-thank Truth I was wearing this then!" She said, chuckling a little and making Ed roll his eyes before helping her up to her feet. The two turned to regard Greed, who seemed to be looking the two of them over critically, his arm almost completely regrown by that point. "Damn it! That's just not fair, re-growing your arm after I put so little effort into taking it off!"

Greed glanced down at his hand, flexing the newly regenerated fingers that danced with red alchemic energy. "That's quite impressive," he drawled out, his black and red eyes squinting as if to smile despite his tusked mouth remaining motionless. "I never imagined that such an old bitch could learn new tricks." Dmitri and Ed both frowned, their shoulder tensing as Greed shook out his left arm. "You're new body and mask were almost enough to fool me, but now that I've seen you're full face," Greed snickered a little, his left hand clenching into a tight fist. "But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't shocked-attacking me to defend some human brat? Keep that up and you may just hurt my feelings."

Dmitri grit her teeth, a vein in the left side of her forehead pulsing as she pointed an incriminating finger at Greed. "Who are you calling old, eh?!" She shouted at him, making him snicker. "I'll have you know I'm only 17- And another thing, I'm getting pretty tired of you and the rest of your freak show friends acting like you know us!" Dmitri cracked her knuckles while to her left Ed rolled his right shoulder before they fell into lose fighting stances. "But that's enough chatting for now- first I'm going to pay you back for daring to kidnap Al, and then I'll beat you to with in an inch of your life for everything else you ass hat's have put us through!"

Greed sighed, his hands clenching tightly at his sides. "As I've told your half dead partner, there's nothing that can penetrate my ultimate shield; you won't win." He said, an obvious unease echoing in his voice.

Dmitri scoffed before she and Ed bolted towards Greed, with Ed taking the lead, clapping his hands together and aiming them not for the ground, but for Greed's own body. Taking quick steps to the side to avoid a direct hit, Greed was surprised when he felt Dmitri's hands land on his shoulders, sending a large shock of green alchemic energy through his torso. Sucking in a breath, Greed was once again caught off guard when Ed transmuted the knuckles of his right hand into spikes and delivered a harsh blow to his abdomen, causing his ultimate shield to crumble away and allowing Ed's hand to rip through his abdominal muscles. He shouted in both pain and shock before jumping some ten feet back, putting distance between himself and the two young alchemists. "Why don't you say that next time, when we blow your head off your shoulders." Dmitri said before her and Ed went on the attack again.

Greed growled, using his inhuman speed to dodge the onslaught of attacks that Dmitri and Ed sent his way, while also landing as many hit's as he could on Ed. After delivering a particularly hard hit that sent Ed sliding back on the balls of his feet, Greed reached out with his clawed hands and gabbed for Dmitri, who easily evaded his reaching hands by stepping into him, and slamming her palms against his chest, sending yet another serge of alchemic energy into him. Not wasting time, Greed quickly jumped away from her, not wanting to have to deal with his abdomen imploding on it's self. How ever, the moment he landed he felt the floor beneath his feet rumble. Glancing out of the cornor of his eye, he saw Ed kneeling on the ground, his hands laying flat against the stone floor. A wave of spiked stone washed towards Greed at an alarming speed. He attempted to jump back, but was shocked when he was kicked in the back of the head, which forced him to fall atop the stone spikes, which managed to pierce his ultimate shield and impale him through his torso. "AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!"

Dmitri jumped over to Ed's side, giving him high five as he stood up from his crouched position. Greed gargled on blood as he pulled himself off the stone spikes, only to fall to the ground on all fours , blood gushing from his torn open abdomen. "Ughhh... What the fuck was that?! How are you getting past my Ultimate Shield!?"

"You said before that you're not to far off from a normal human," Ed said, a smug smirk working it's way onto his face. "And knowing that something can't come from nothing, it was pretty simple to figure out exactly what your so called 'Ultimate Shield' is made out of. Carbon; it makes up over one third of the human body, and when the atoms are bonded correctly, it can make pencil lead as hard as a diamond." Ed held up his automail arm, allowing Dmitri to see it clearly for the first time since arriving. It was pretty beat up, with most of the outer platting having fallen off, leaving the wires and internal workings exposed. His thumb was broken off at the first knuckle, and two other fingers were barely holding on; it was a merical that it still worked. "And knowing how it works, we can rearrange the atoms in such a way that make's your Ultimate Shield worthless."

Greed grunted in annoyance before launching himself at the two teens, his fist raised to strike out at Ed. "Hah! Like you're little discovery changes anything!" He said as Dmitri and Ed jumped apart, with Ed catching Greed's flying fist in his right hand with a deafening clang. "It just makes this fight all the more interesting!"

Dmitri slammed the palms of her hands into Greed's freshly regenerated side, pumping him full of alchemic energy, making his rib cage explode much like his arm did. He cried out in anguish, but was kept from retreating by Ed grasping hold of his wrist and pulling him into a hard elbow to his now injured side. "I wasn't finished!" Ed shouted before kicking the same spot again, undoing the regeneration that had started to patch up Greed's side. This time he let go of Greed, sending him skidding across the room on the balls of his feet. "We also learned, that the hardening of your Shield and your physical regeneration, as awesome as they are, cannot occur at the same time!" Greed gasped for air while clutching at his side, blood gushing between his clawed fingers as his body struggled to catch up with the damage done to him.

"Prepare yourself, Greed," Dmitri said, clapping her hands together and transmuting one of her guns. Ed instantly recognized it as the one she had threatened him with upon their first meeting, it's massive size even more exaggerated given the relatively small space they were fighting in. "The next one wont be so easy to recover from."

Greed stared the two of them down for a moment, his red eyes darting between them and the huge gun barrel that was aimed his way. Hollow laughter rumbled from his chest as the Ultimate Shield started to recede from his body, allowing his more human form to become visible. "Pointing a gun at your favorite..." A deep frown found it's way to Greed's lips, his indigo eyes locking with Dmitri's for a split second making her shoulders stiffen up in shock. "What did I tell you, huh? Keep it up and you'll hurt my feelings-"

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!" Ed shouted making Dmitri jump in surprise. "What the hell is so hard for you ass holes to understand, huh?! Dmitri's not your damn anything, got it?!" Ed held his fist up threateningly, a deep scowl on his face. "Or do you need me to beat that into you too?!"

Greed shot Ed a glare so fierce that if it had been anyone else, they surly would have wet their pants on the spot. "As much as I would _love_ to keep decimating you, kid, I'm afraid I'll have to decline." Greed's eyes shifted back to Dmitri, the very edges of his glare softening ever so slightly. "Against the two of you, it's obvious that the fight isn't in my favor." Greed turned away from them then, making a B-Line for the hole in the wall that Dmitri had created in her entrance to the room. "And if you should happen to kill me..." Greed glanced at Ed out of the corner of his eye, making the shell shocked teen audibly gulp. "I can promise that you'ed regret it with every atom of your being."

Ed grit his teeth, his brow furrowing in confusion. "H-hey! Where the hell do you think you're going-?!" Before Ed could finish his sentence, the wall on the opposite side of the room exploded, and the sounds of heavy boot falls and clanking of riffles filled the air. "What the-?"

"We've located Lead and Major Fullmetal!" A soldier shouted as he an about ten other men came flooding into the room, their riffles and hand guns at the ready. They opened fire just as Greed made his escape through the opened hall, shooting Ed and Dmitri a quick wave and a smug smile. Ed went to chase after Greed but was stopped by one of the soldiers, who wrapped and arm around his waist. "The boy is secured!"

"Hey! Let me go!" Ed shouted, struggling against the restraining soldier. Dmitri transmuted her gun back into it's vial before taking off after Greed, ignoring Ed and the other soldiers shouts for her to stop, or in Ed's case, to wait up.

When she cleared the obliterated wall, Dmitri spotted a decent sized hole that had been punched into the floor... _Sorry Ed... but it's my turn to go alone..._ with out hesitating, Dmitri jumped down into the hole, landing on her feet on what appeared to be a sidewalk in the sewers. Clapping her hands together and placing them against the wall next to her, Dmitri used her alchemy to seal off the hole she had jumped through... _that should be enough to buy me a little more BONDING time with the freak..._

* * *

Deep in the sewers, Al was struggling to crawl across the walk way. Martel, who was still sitting inside his armor, fought him all the way, cursing him under her breath for every inch he managed to gain. "BE OBEDIENT!" She shouted at him.

"I... DON'T...WANNA..." Al said with a grunt, his whole body shaking with the strain of trying to move... _I have to get back... Brother... He doesn't know about Greed's regeneration... I have to go help him!_ "LET...ME...GO!"

They struggled like this for a moment longer until the sound of foot falls made it's way into Al's helmet. With a gasp of surprise, Al stopped his wiggling in order to look up, the quickly approaching foot steps making his heart leap in excitement... _brother?!_ Before Al could call out for Ed, he felt all his hope deflate as the (sadly) familiar face of Greed emerged from the darkness, an uncharacteristic look of confused rejection apparent on his face before he forced it into an apathetic scowl. "Ha, Greed!" Martel shouted, lifting Al's helmet to get a full look at her boss.

"Oh, Martel and the Armor Boy _are_ alright then." Greed said, his hands falling into his pockets casually as he glanced around... _where are the others_?

"Roa left us here so he could go back and help out up top." Martel said, answering Greed's unspoken question.

"Yeah, it's got pretty heated once that boy's partner located us-"

Al gasped in shock. "Dmitri- she's here?!" He started struggling against Martel again, growling in frustration when he only mangaed to move a few inches towards Greed who was regarding him with curiosity. "You better not have hurt her, or I'll-"

"You'll what, kill me?" Greed said, sounding quite amused with Al's struggling. "We should plan our escape Martel-"

"I can not allow that."

Greed's eyes widened in mild shock before he turned to see who had spoken to him. Behind him stood a man that looked to be in his mid fifties, dressed in a tight black t-shirt and dark blue military pants that were tucked into his standard issue combat boots. Six sheaths were strapped to his back, with two of the blades drawn and held in either hand. His single green eye glared at Greed heatedly, and his mustached face was set with a stone cold apathy. His other eye was covered by a simple eye patch. "Who is that?" Greed asked.

"Ah, Mr. President, why are you here?!" Al exclaimed, earning a shocked sound from Martel who had ducked back into his armor just seconds before Bradly had shown up.

"Hmph..." Greed rubbed the back of his neck in a bored fashion, debating internally if he was up for another fight. "What is the most powerful man in this nation doing here?"

Bradly looked Greed over a couple times, his frown only deepening as the minutes ticked by. "How old are you?"

Not expecting such a question, Greed had to take a second to comprehend what had been asked of him. "Huh? Wha-"

"I'm turning 60 this year, and the body doesn't move as well when one ages." Bradly said, sounding dejected at his own revelation. "So you'll understand me wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible. I'm quite ready to go home." He stepped forward, his grip on his two drawn swords tightening.

Greed chuckled humorously; this old geezer wanted to fight, huh? "Then why don't you just retire or something, _pops_?" Greed held up his hand, readying his shield... _I'll take out this old man, and then we'll get the hell ou-_ Greed didn't get to finish his thought as Bradly was suddenly upon him, slicing his hand off just above the wrist, and stopping the flow of his shield with ease. "Ooh...?"

* * *

Dmitri ran this way and that, relying on her instincts to point her in the right direction. Once again she could hear the sound of fighting echoing through the sewers, but with how hollow these halls were, the sound was bouncing all over the place. That is, until it just disappeared. Gritting her teeth, she took the next left, her eyes widening in shock when she spotted a very familiar set of armor siting against one of the sewer walls. "Al!"

"Ah..." Al, who had been looking down the opposite end of the sewer path, turned his head, making a shocked sound when he saw Dmitri running towards him, looking a little beat up and- where those scorch marks?! "Demi! What are you doing here- where's brother?"

Dmitri hardly slowed down before she crashed in him, wrapping her arms around his helmet in what would have been a bone crushing hug. "Al! I'm so happy that I found you-" she pulled back then, socking him in the back of the helmet making him yelp in shock. "What were you thinking?! We were worried sick over you!" She scolded earning a sheepish chuckle from the younger Elric brother.

"Sorry Demi..." As if suddenly remembering something, Al let out another surprised gasp. "Ah! Demi, the President is fighting Greed right now- they're right down this hall!" Al and Dmitri both turned to stare into the darkness that Al had been preoccupied with earlier, with Al letting out a worried sigh. "But the sounds of battle... they stopped a couple minutes ago-"

"Shh!" Dmitri placed a hand on Al's helmet making him look up at her in surprise. "I hear something..." Dmitri whispered before she stepped around Al, putting herself between him and whoever or _whatever_ might be coming down the hall.

To bother Al and Dmitri's shock, Greed's face was the first to emerge from the darkness, his eyes widening a fraction of a second when he spotted Dmitri standing over Al... _not good-_ Dmitri and Al both gasped at Greed's physical state; he was sliced up pretty badly, with both his arm's missing, a large gash that flowed from his right shoulder to his left hip. His throat looked as if it had been sliced open, and blood was flowing freely from all his wounds, as well as red alchemic energy as his body tried to heal everything at once. With one more step, he fell forward onto his face, splattering the growing puddle of blood in all directions.

"Shit-" Dmitri rushed over, grabbing hold of his shoulders and rolling him onto his back. "Don't you dare die you bastard!" She shouted at him. Greed watched as she applied pressure to the wound on his chest as it seemed to be regenerating the slowest. "I've got too many questions for you!"

"Don't..." Greed said, blood gushing out of the corners of his mouth. "G-get, back..." He tried to push her away with the stumps of his arms, but she held fast, refusing to leave him alone.

"What the hell did I just-?!" The hilt of a sword slammed into the back of Dmitri's skull, making her eyes roll into the back of her skull and her body to flop forward onto Greed who grunted at the sudden dead weight of her.

Al gasped in horror as Bradly stepped out from the shadows, the hilt of his sword still cocked from striking Dmitri unconscious. Martel started to struggle inside of him, shouting for Al to let her out. "OPEN UP!" She shouted, banging on the side of his armor. It took all of Al's will power to fight her off instead of letting her out so he could go to Dmitri. "LET ME OUT!"

"No, it's dangerous outside!" Al hissed at her. "Be quiet- if you're found he'll kill you!" Al warned her as he watched Greed shakily push himself up, his right arm fully regenerated and holding onto Dmitri around the waist, keeping her from falling into the murky sewer water.

"You... _bastard_..." Greed growled out, his hold on Dmitri nearly bruising. "Why-"

"She was in the way." Bradly said, his voice stony and his glare just as cold. "Would you have rather I killed her too?"

Greed grunted as he rolled over onto his knees, laying Dmitri on the ground beneath him. "Fuck off..." he bit out making Bradly's one visible eye narrow irritably. "Leave her alone-!" Bradly stabbed the sword used to knock out Dmitri into the back of Greed's throat, effectively cutting off his building rant.

"That makes the 15th death." Bradly said as he roughly pulled his sword from Greed's neck. Said homunculus coughed and gagged on his own blood, which was spilling from the gaping hole in his throat onto Dmitri's back. "How many more times do I have to kill you before you stay dead?"

"Ah shit..." Bradly glanced up, past the shell shocked Alphonse, and locked eyes with Dolcetto and Roa, both of whom looked worse for wear. They were bleeding profusely from deep wounds on their heads and abdomens, and Roa's left arm was twisted in such a way that showed it to be broken in at least two places. "It might have been an easier death if we had stayed back there. Boy we're sure unlucky!" Dolcetto said, his hand clenching tightly around the hilt of his sword.

"It's okay if you run away with you tail tucked between your legs, Dolcetto." Roa said, his tone light and teasing despite the heavy situation.

"Trust me, I wanna, but I've got this stupid doggy loyalty shit..." Dolcetto said before glancing down at Al who seemed to have snapped out of his shock. "I know she's in there..." he said, referring to Martel who had stopped in her struggles the moment she saw her two other comrades appear. "Please help her escape."

Roa gave Al a warm smile, a gesture that seemed out of place on his bloody face. "We're counting on you, Kid."

Al gasped as Roa and Dolcetto charged Bradly. From inside his armor, Martel started screaming and fighting against him harder then ever. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes as she pounded against Al's helmet hard enough to draw blood from her balled up fists. "LET ME OUT! ROA! DOLCETTO- I DON'T HAVE TIME TO FIGHT YOU KID, I'M TELLING YOU TO OPEN UP!" Al held firm on his resolve.

"No! You can't come out!" Al protested, his voice trembling as he watched Bradly easily dispose of Dolcetto, slicing him clean in half with his lifeless body falling into the sewer's putrid water.

Martel continued to punch at his helmet, her tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "YOU EXPECT ME TO SIT HERE AND WATCH MY COMRADES DIE?! LET ME OUT GOD DAMN YOU!"

"I cannot let you out!" Al grunted as she hit him with an especially hard punch. "They are counting on me to keep you safe-!"

Both Al and Martel gasped in horror as Bradly took down Roa with ease, slicing his head in half, severing his brain from the rest of his body. He stumbled a couple more steps, his body slow to register it's own death, before he too collapsed into the sewer water. "No... **NOOO!** " Martel hit the inside of Al's armor a few more times, though she lacked the will power to put much behind them. "Please... I'm begging you..."

"No..." Al said, his voice trembling ever so gently. "I'm sorry... but you can't go out!"

Greed, who had been forced to sit back and watch the carnage due to his lack of limbs, was finally able to pick himself up, his hands almost completely regenerated. Dmitri was still unconscious, and the puddle of blood she was laying in was slowly starting to stain her hair and skin. Greed stepped around her, his eyes locked on Bradly's back. "Hey now, _Bradly_..." Greed said making Bradly turn to regard him with a bored green eye. "You're gonna have to pay for doing such things."

"Feeling sympathy for your pawns?" Bradly turned to face Greed fully. "Foolish."

Greed chuckled darkly, a harsh smile coming to his face. "Sympathy?! Are you stupid or just senile? Look at who you're talking to! I'm fucking _Greed_! These people weren't my _friends_ they were my subordinates, my possessions! Everything and anything this world has to offer, I'll take it! And I won't tolerate anyone who thinks they can take my possessions away from me-!?" Bradly, having heard enough of Greed's rantings, moved with lightning fast speed, stabbing him in the chest and abdomen with four different swords, effectively pinning him to the ground.

"Hn, you truly are foolish." Bradly said, venom dripping off his tongue. "Just stay down for now." He turned around, by passing Dmitri and heading for Alphonse who instantly felt dread penetrate his soul.

 _...I... I gotta run away..._ Al thought as he pushed himself up to his knees. He glanced at Dmitri's blood soaked unconscious body and hesitated... _but, I can't just leave Demi here! But Martel..._

"Don't be hasty." Bradly said, his biting tone from before replaced with one of reassurance and caring, catching Al off guard. "You're Edward's brother, right? Are you injured? Do you need a hand?"

"Ah... y-yes, I'm alright!" Al said, trying hard to hide the tremor in his voice. Internally he thanked truth that Martel was keeping quiet. "I-I can find my way home... I'll take Dmitri with me, so...?!" Al gasped in shock when Martel extended her arm into his, forcing him to lurch forward and grab Bradly by his throat. "NO- NO MARTEL, DON'T DO THIS-!"

With out hesitation Bradly unsheathed a fifth sword, and with one arm he stabbed it into Al's armor from beneath his helmet, it's sharp blade stabbing Martel straight through the top of her head. Her blood splattered across the internal walls of his armor shell and seeped through the seams, pooling at Al's feet. A sprinkling of blood hit Al's seal, making him jerk in surprise as fast moving, confusing images started to flash across his mind. With a strangled scream he collapsed, his mind falling deeper and deeper into the horrific memories.


	24. Remembering Truth

The first five seconds that Edward was on the scene in the sewers, were by far the longest he'd ever lived through. The night he and his brother attempted the impossible sadly didn't even come close; despite losing limbs and in Al's case his whole body, they still had their air in the their lungs and most importantly, each other. That night everything had moved so quickly it was almost a blur. But tonight, those first five seconds seemed to stretch on for an eternity as Ed's mind came to a screeching halt.

It wasn't until the men who had managed to subdue him got the word that King Bradly had taken down Greed that Ed had been allowed to enter the sewers. With Armstrong he entered, following the directions given over the head sets in order to navigate the labyrinth of underground passageways. The two of them never expected what they found.

Sitting limp and unresponsive was Al, the normally shinning eye slits of his helmet dark and life less. Blood streamed out of the joints of his armor, and while not his own, it still sent a cold shiver down Ed and Armstrong's spines. Directly beside him stood King Bradly, one of his six swords still clutched in his hand and dripping with relatively fresh blood. His face was stony, a drastic change to the calm exterior he normally portrayed.

The bodies of two of Greed's goons floated in the sewer water, their blood staining the brown liquid black in the dim light. Ed felt his stomach churn when he saw the head and shoulders of Dolcetto floating in the opposite direction of his legs. Up on the path, pinned to the ground by four blades and seemingly unconscious was Greed, his regenerating flesh sparking with dim red light as it tried in vein to heal it's self around the swords. And directly behind Greed's head, laying face down in an unbelievably large puddle of blood- "Dmitria!" Armstrong dashed over to her side, his hands shaking as he grabbed her shoulders and gingerly rolled her onto her back.

Ed stayed rooted to the spot, unable to breath and unable to tear his eyes away from the scene. Dmitri was dead. _Dead._ And Al, he hadn't moved an inch- was he gone to? Dead; they were both dead... _I... all that blood...they're dead- I let them DIE-_ "Fullmetal." The sound of Bradly speaking his name made Ed take in a deep, strangled breath. His leg's felt unsteady beneath him and his head was spinning to quickly he was sure to lose what little contents were in his stomach any moment. He had _failed_ them- he let that monster get away... _IDIOT! I'm such a stupid, stubborn-_

"This is all my fault..." Ed said, gritting his teeth as the shock started to fade into agonizing, gut wrenching remorse. He fought off the tears that had gathered in his eyes; he didn't deserve to mourn damn it! "I-I'm sorry Major."

Armstrong, who had been carefully checking his bloodied baby cousin for a pulse, let out a pensive sigh before glancing over his shoulder at the forlorn Edward. "...There is nothing to forgive. She chose to follow on her own despite knowing the risks-"

"How can you say that?!" Ed said, his strangled voice turning into a shout, his emotions making if difficult for him to control his own voice. He grit his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut so tight he was seeing stars. "How can you say there is nothing to forgive?... If I hadn't been so god damn stubborn- Al wouldn't be... and Dmitri- they would still be here damn it!" Ed punched the ground with his right hand, causing a few more shards of steel to clatter to the ground.

Armstrong strode over then, bent down and grasped hold of Ed's shoulders, pulling him up right so that he could look Ed in the eye. "Edward Elric, that is enough! This is not the time to lose your head!" Armstrong released his hold on Ed, his lips pulling into a stern frown. "If my cousin were conscious, I'm sure she would be saying the same. As for you brother-"

"C-conscious?" Ed stammered, his eyes going wide in shock. "Y-you mean... she's not-"

"Dead?" Bradly supplied making Ed and Armstrong turn to regard him, Ed's eyes as wide as saucers. "Good heaven's, no! She was merely knocked unconscious in the skirmish." Bradly chuckled as he sheathed his blade, proceeding to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. "I do apologize for that; I miss took her for one of his subordinates and hadn't realized my mistake until after she was unconscious. Thank goodness I didn't just strike to kill on sight! Hahahah!"

All the color drained from Armstrong and Edward's faces, with Ed leaning his forehead against the sewer wall. "...I think I'm gonna throw up..." He grumbled out, the sudden relief followed by a split second of horror and shock being enough to make his stomach churn. Ed turned his head a bit to look down upon his silent, unmoving brother. "...What about Al?"

Bradly hummed seriously, his smile turning into a tight lipped frown. "There appeared to be a young woman hiding within his armor, manipulating it. I disposed of her." The way Bradly spoke, it was obvious how disgusted he was by the scenario. "It is only now that I regret my decision to do so, at least while she was still inside, as it appears to have sent him into shock." He looked down his nose at Ed, his one visible eye hard as stone, a stark contrast to his suddenly gentle tone. "Why don't we remove the body?"

Armstrong and Ed shared a reluctant look. "...Very well Sir..."

* * *

If he were to be honest with himself, Alphonse would have to admit that he had thought death would be more, well, lively. Floating through pseudo space, a never ending black space that seemed to have no beginning or end, where cardinal directions were useless and one couldn't even tell if they were sitting up right, was not what he'd envisioned, and it truly made him wonder; why were people so scared of dying? Sure, for some the act of dying must be brutal, inhuman- but what awaited them on the other side, was nothingness... _boy, wouldn't the people in Liore feel foolish if they were here with me right now..._

Not that he would know if they were there; he couldn't even see his hand an inch from his own face. Or was he not even holding it up to begin with? He felt incredibly numb, more so then he ever had in his armor. At least when he had a body of metal, he still had the phantom sensations of movement in his non-existent limbs. But here? He could just be a floating essence, uninhibited by the physical restraints that were placed on all things of mass in the universe. A true soul, doomed to float aimlessly through the endless void; or was he actually just a figment of the darkness it's self?

 _"...Alphonse!"_

Hmm? A ripple of sound moved through the black space around him. It kind of sounded like... _who is it again... they sound so familiar..._ Al could hardly put a face to the voice that called to him... _or is it just a trick... it's so quiet here... maybe I imagined it..._

 _"DAMN IT AL! ANSWER ME!"_

The clanking of metal followed the voice this time, making Al's entire being, what ever he may be now, quake violently. The space around him seemed to shift as well, it's surface suddenly glittering in the faintest of... _light? But, where..._ Al's sluggish thoughts stirred the ebbing and flowing darkness around him... _who's there?_

 _"Come on Al! Al!"_

Hmmmm... _? That's voice again..._ A sudden flash of bright colors, and blaring sounds suddenly filled every crevice of Al's mind, making his whole body jolt at the sudden assault of stimuli. The scene it's self wasn't very loud, or bright to be honest; it was set in the dead of night, and a light rain fell against the window panes. A fire burned in a near by fire place, and a warm blanket was draped over his torso and legs... he was laying on his belly, his head propped up by his hands and his eyes fixed on the dancing flames. He couldn't stop staring at them, no matter how much his eyes burned from their intense heat. It was almost like he was under a spell- "AL?! Hey!" His arm's were knocked out from under his head, making him smack his nose and forehead against the hard wood floor.

"OW!" He cried out, pushing himself up onto his knees in order to tend to his now bleeding nose. "Ed, what was that for?!" He wined, his voice throaty due to his pinching the bridge of his nose.

"You were spacing out again!" The same voice that had called his name before, the one responsible for his bloody nose, answered him from his right. "Come on, we'er almost done with this one!" He turned, his eyes growing wide when he spied the young boy sitting beside him. He looked no older then eight or nine and had golden blonde hand and matching golden eyes. He was laying on his belly, his upper body propped up on his elbows as he stared intently down at the yellowed pages of an old, worn out book.

"...brother?"

Ed glanced up at his younger brother, his brow furrowing in worry and mild irritation. "Yeah? What the heck are you crying about? It didn't hurt that bad did it?" He asked making Al raise his right arm, rubbing it against his misty eyes.

"N-no, I just..." Al sniffled making Ed frown. "I-I'm just happy t-that you're here..." Al felt Ed's hand ruffle his hair, the action soothing to his frayed nerves.

"Don't worry Alphonse..." Ed said, his voice leaning towards a taunting tone as he continued consoling his little brother. "I'm not going anywhere. After all..." Al's head snapped up as Ed's voice mutated, resembling a chorus of individual voices that clashed against one another in such a way, it made the hair stand on up on the back of Al's neck. He let out a startled gasp; he was no longer on the floor, snuggled with his big brother beside the roaring fire in their childhood home. Instead he was sitting on his knee's in a room devoid of all color; a room so white it made his eyes hurt. But Al dared not close them.

Before him, it's hand still laying atop his head, stood what looked to be a young boy; or at least, the out line of one. All Al could see of this boy was the very light outline he had that hardly made him distinguishable from the stark white room, and wide, sinister smile. This void of white giggled, it's chorus of voices making Al tremble from head to toe. It leaned it close to him, his featureless face drawing itself with in just a few centimeters of Al's face. "...I _am_ you."

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Al let out an ear piercing scream as the featureless person before him shifted, his face becoming Al's own face, and his body becoming Al's own body. Moving to grasp at his head with what should have been his own flesh and blood hands, Al let out another scream as hand's void of color, and barley distinguishable from the stark white room, came up instead.

His double laughed as if devoured by madness, rocking back and forth on the balls of it's feet. Al moved to grab hold of his double's wrist only to let out a shout of surprise when he was lifted from the ground by what looked and felt like hundreds of tiny black snakes with hands in place of heads. "NOOOO! LET ME GO!" Al scratched at the floor with is colorless hands as the small black snake hands pulled him back into the pseudo space. But this time was different.

This time he could feel his stomach bottom out as he flew through the seemingly empty void, the small snake hands clutching tightly at every inch of his skin. In the far off distance he could see a pin prick of light, and the closer he came to it the more he could-

 _"Al!-"_

Al gasped, his suit of armor jerking violently as he was suddenly thrust back into the here and now. Edward, covered with bandages and dried blood, was knelt before him, hammering Al's helmet in desperation. "HEY! Answer me damn it! ALPHONSE!"

"... big brother...?"

"Hey, are you okay?!" Ed exclaimed, resting his sore left hand on the top of Al's helmet. "What happened? Why weren't you responding?!" His shoulders slumped and his face turned a light shade of green as his stomach once again rolled inside of him. "You had me worried sick..."

Al visibly wilted at his brothers proclamation, a contrite sound echoing through his armor. "I'm sorry..." He let his head fall in guilt, though upon doing so let out a loud gasp. "W-what-" His chest plate had been removed, leaving it's hollow interior exposed to those around him. He was covered in blood, both inside and out, and a long, smeared trail lead some five feet away from him where a sheet covered body lay. "Uuh..." From his left came Armstrong who knelt before Al in order to block the body from his view.

"We thought it best, to remove her before you could wake up..." He said, his voice thick with sympathy.

Al brought his hands up to his helmet, holding it as if he were about to break into tears. "I'm sorry... I-I couldn't...save her..." His voice was tight as he tried to rein in the feelings of overwhelming guilt. There was nothing he could do for her, but still... _they trusted me to protect her...and I failed..._

"It's not your fault, Al." Ed rubbed Al's helmet reassuringly, a soft smile on his face. Let's go home, ok? Teacher's waiting."

AL nodded his head, letting out one last shuddered breath before glancing around the sewer hall. He could see multiple military personnel standing around, collecting evidence in order to put Greed and any surviving chimera's away no doubt, but something was missing... "Brother, where's Demi?" Ed tsked, a frown falling onto his face making Al instantly regret his question. "S-she- is she-"

"Dmitria is being kept at the local Infirmary," Armstrong said before moving out of his knelt position in order to help Al to his feet. "She has yet to awaken from her unconscious state; it seems that Mr. President miss took her for one of Greed's subordinates and hit her much harder then he would a normal, human foe." Armstrong reached down and grabbed Al by the back of his armor, hoisting him up with one arm much to Al's surprise. "Your brother is simply upset that she's being kept at the Infirmary instead of your teachers home."

Ed grumbled something unintelligible while rubbing the back of his neck, an ever so light tinge of pink dusting the apples of his cheeks. "What ever- let's go Al, before Teacher hunts us down-"

"Wait a moment." Ed, Al and Armstrong all turned around to find Bradly heading their way, his arms folded neatly behind his back and a stern frown on his face. "There's a few questions that I have for the two of you. Did any of you, Lead included, make any deals with the man known as Greed?"

"No." Edward answered quickly, his brow furrowing irritably. Couldn't this wait until _after_ they washed the blood off of Al?

"Did you obtain any important information?"

Ed shook his head rigidly. "Nothing that would be beneficial to the military."

"Hmmm... Let me make myself a little clearer." Bradly said, his tone taking on a sharp edge making a cold sweat break out over Ed and Armstrongs foreheads. "I'm not asking these questions for military use, but if the three of you have made any deals with Greed or his co-conspirators, then I'll have to execute you two on the spot should I view it as necessary." Ed and Armstrong visibly stiffened as the men in the sewer shifted, aiming their fire arms in Ed and Al's directions. "Now I'll ask you again; did any of you make any deals with Greed that could harm the military?"

"No." Ed answered again, his mouth falling into a firm line. "Do you have any other questions, or are we done here?"

Bradly hummed, his green eye drifting from Ed to Al and back again slowly. "Your steel right arm and your brothers armor body... are they related in any way?" Ed felt as though he had been sucker punched, the air in the sewer suddenly to thick to breath properly. Why hadn't he thought of that before? The Fuhrer- the very man who had the power to take away anything and everything he wished, had just seen the inside of Al's armor- "Ah, an honest one!" Bradly's cheerful tone shocked Ed out of his thoughts and scowl, leaving him blinking in wide eyed astonishment as Bradly smiled down at him before turning on his heel and motioning towards his men. "Let's pull out now." He said earning nods form his earnest men. "That brother of yours, take good care of him Fullmetal. And sorry about your partner," Bradly turned his head as if to glance at Ed through his eye patch, the gentle smile still in place. "Lead should be right as rain by morning." Ed, Al and Armstrong watched in muted confusion as the Fuhrer, the ultimate power in all of Amestris, waved over his shoulder before disappearing into the dark halls of the Sewer.

* * *

Ed grunted as he lifted a pale of water, splashing it onto the breast plate of Al's armor. It had been quite an ordeal getting home, given they had to take many back streets to avoid stirring up a panic in the town due to Al being covered in blood, but once they stepped foot through those doors they could feel the tension from that day's ordeal starting to melt away. Teacher scolded them both to high heaven, pushed Ed into a full bath tub of water cloths and all, and forced food down his throat shortly after. Once she had calmed down, they were able to tell her what all had happened. Like Ed, she was quite angry that Dmitri was being kept at the infirmary. "WHAT, DO THEY THINK I LACK THE ABILITY TO CARE FOR THE WOUNDED?!" She had shouted, her anger causing her to tighten the fresh bandage she was tying around Ed's head to pull to tight, making him start shouting and flailing frantically.

"Alright!" Ed exclaimed as he did one last rub down on the inner wall of the breast plate. "All cleaned up!" Tossing the wet and slightly blood stained rag over his shoulder Ed turned towards Al, who was sitting in the open doorway that lead into the back of the shop. "...you alright?" Al jumped a little, as if suddenly startled from his thoughts.

"Ah... yeah, I was just thinking is all..." He said, his arms coming up to wrap around his knees.

Ed frowned and walked towards his younger brother, the slip on sandals he'd borrowed from Mason scraping loudly against the pavement. "It's not your fault you now-"

"It's not about that, I promise!" Al said, holding his hand up and waving it in a dismissive way. "It's just... I got them back... my memories from when my body was taken."

Ed's eyes widened in shock. "H-how was it?!"

"Hmmm... well, it was deffinantly weird!" Al wiggled his arms the best he could, trying hard to imitate the motion of the snake hands that had grabbed him. "And I think I met that weird guy that Demi told us about too- the man she called Truth. But..." Al sighed, his hands falling to his side in dejection. "But I don't remember anything about Human Transmutation..."

"Hmmm..." Ed sighed gently before shrugging his shoulders and grabbed Al's breast plate, pulling it over him. "You don't say."

Al nodded and grabbed the breast plate, fastening it into place with expert fingers. "Yeah... so after all this we still haven't gotten any closer."

"I wouldn't say that," Ed said as he walked over and picked up the bucket, tossing the bloodied rag into it. "Remember what happened int he hospital in Central? After the fifth lab."

"Yup- the Fuhrer came in and asked us about the Uroborus gang." Al said as the two stood at the bottom of the stairs. "President Bradly said that he suspected that they were causing unease in the military, and he wants to catch them as soon as possible. Then he jumped out the window in order to hide from his body guards." Al chuckled a little at the end, the thought of their distinguished and noble Fuhrer taking such crazy steps to avoid someone laughable.

Ed nodded, his light hearted smile morphing into a serious frown. "Then why did he give the order to slaughter everyone associated with Greed? If he wanted to catch all of the Uroborus gang, wouldn't it have made more sense to capture as many as he could and question them? He might have, at the very least, gotten a general area of where their base is located."

"That's right!" Al exclaimed, Ed's revelation striking in him exactly how odd the situation was. "And isn't it a little strange that the President himself would come down to the sewers when he had so many men? I mean, sure they probably wouldn't have stood a chance against Greed, but isn't that a move saved as a last ditch effort?"

Ed rubbed his chin in thought, uncertainty settling into his chest. "And what about what happened with Dmitri? She's on a first name basis with Bradly- he even hinted that she's been over to his personal home on many occasions and shares a relationship with his kid. One eye or not, don't you think he would have recognized her, even in those conditions?"

Al made an unsure sound in the back of his throat. "About that brother... was Demi acting alright around you?"

"Hm?" Ed shot his brother a curious glance. "What do you mean?"

"Well..." Al rubbed the back of his neck in uncertainty. "When she saw Greed, he was pretty beat up from the President; his arms were missing and he had to big wounds, one on his chest and one across his throat. And she... she tried to stop the bleeding. I couldn't really hear what they were talking about but, but Greed was trying to push her away, like he didn't want her help..." Ed's brow furrowed in confusion. Why would she- "The President knocked her unconscious; I was pretty shocked, since she was on our side. But Greed... it was weird, brother. He got really mad at the President for hitting Demi, and shouted at him to "leave her alone"."

Ed scowled, the thought of one of those monsters feeling anger over his partner leaving a bad taste in the back of his throat. "I'm sure she was just trying to get some answers out of him. Those bastards have been causing us a lot of trouble, and they won't drop the whole "mother" bull shit act either."

Al nodded in understanding. "Yeah, you're probably right, but... " A mental image of Greed's face as he knelt on hand and knees over an unconscious Dmitri flashed across Al's mind, making him frown internally. "Are you sure they're lying brother? About Demi-"

"What?! Come on Al, get real!" Ed shouted, his voice echoing off the back of the shop. "Dmitri's only two years older then I am, and those tattooed assholes are obviously over twenty five! There's no way in hell she could be-"

"Brother! Please calm down, I wasn't finished!" Al said, holding his hands up in surrender at his older brothers flared temper. Ed huffed but snapped his mouth shut, giving Al the sign to continue with his explanation. "I know that Demi's not old enough to be a mom," the left side of Ed's mouth twitched. "But what if it's similar to what we saw with Nina and Tucker? Demi looked an awful lot like Nina's biological mother, and that made Nina and Tucker love her even more... maybe she looks like someone the Uroborus gang saw as their mother- or maybe she even looks like their own biological mother." Al looked off to the side, his voice turning thoughtful as he continued. "Greed mentioned that a homunculus is an artificial human... but he sad that the word "artificial" didn't really apply to himself and the rest of his gang back in central."

Ed chewed on the inside of his cheek; Al had a valid point. Blonde hair and blue eyes, even though Dmitri's were a rare shade of aurora, were a pretty common feature among Amestrians. And so far each, and every one of those Uroborus members all had the exact same eye color... aurora blue. While rare, it's not out of the ball park that someone else with Dmitri's looks was involved in the creation of such monsters, and such a trait would be dominant, just like in the Armstrong family who are distinguishable due to two traits in particular; hair and eye color, and their unusual strength. Ed sighed, scratching his cheek irritably. "Yeah, I know you've got a point Al, but it still pisses me off. I just want them to go away and leave us alone- leave _her_ alone. She never talks about it, but I know it's stressful for her, and now that we know she has no memories from when she was a kid, I think that just makes it worse on her."

"Ho-ho~~" Al chuckled at Ed making him shoot his brother an 'have-you-lost-your-mind' look. "You know what Demi would be saying if she were here?" Ed blinked up at Al curiously, his previous unease slowly ebbing away due to his younger brothers suddenly playful tone. Al laughed again before pinching Ed's cheek with his massive fingers. " "You're so cute when you worry Edward! Awwwwwe, look at those cheeks-" AACK!" Al squealed in surprise when Ed punched him in the side, sending him falling over into the still open door way.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" Ed shouted before tackling Al, leaving the bucket and rag on the ground in favor of putting his little brother into a choke hold. Al just laughed the whole time, as Ed was technically unable to choke him due to Al not having a flesh and blood neck. " You brat, I'm gonna get you for that! You better add an ass kicking to that list of yours!"

"Why the red face brother?" Al said between laughs when Ed finally released him, rolling over onto his feet with a frustrated huff.

"Shuddap-AHH!" Ed ducked just in time to avoid a kitchen knife to the face, which was now lodged into the wall just a foot away from Al. The two shook in fear as they stared up at their teachers angry face.

"What's with all the noise this late at night, huh?!" She shouted at them, making far more noise then the two of them combined, though neither dared to point such a thing out to her. "Get to bed, the both of you! Lights out is in twenty minutes!"

"YES MA'AM!" Ed and Al both booked it down the hall, fighting each other to get through their bed room door before slamming it shut behind them. Izumi watched then scramble, waiting for silence to fill the hall once again before letting out a strained sigh and dousing the light. Today had been a long, stressful one, but she knew that she wasn't quite done. No, she wouldn't be able to rest easy until she had all three of her teen's sleeping under her roof again.

"That stupid girl." Izumi said, stopping just short of her own bed room door... _how dare she make me worry like this, damn brat..._ she entered the room, unsurprised to find her husband already deep in his open eyed slumber... _why the hell do I care so much anyway... I just met her yesterday..._ Izumi smirked when she remembered the two of them scolding Ed right before he left to talk to Greed. It a small way, Dmitri reminded Izumi of herself, but with Sig's patience... _I wonder... if our baby had survived, would he have been like her..._ with that thought in mind Izumi climbed into bed, her head coming to rest on her husbands chest. On instinct his arm came to wrap around her side, holding her close in his sleep. It didn't take long for his warmth and comforting presence to start taking effect on her, lulling her to sleep.


End file.
